Penny and the hair – all just harmless fun?
Penny's parents initially thought it was a harmless quirk of their daughter, twisting her curls and plucking her hair as a somewhat eccentric but endearing habit of a 12-year-old.
However, it did not take long before the fun was over and the harmless habit developed into a compulsive behaviour that became a burden for the whole family.
The problems really began when Penny no longer just twisted her hair into curls, but started, absent-mindedly, to chew on it and pull out whole clumps. Her parents noticed that the habit became especially bad during maths homework, a subject Penny was not particularly fond of. Soon the maths exercise book was literally covered in hair.
For a while her parents were able to persuade Penny to 'take out' her nervousness on a ring she was allowed to choose herself and twirl on her finger when she was stressed. For a while this worked somewhat well, but the nervousness remained and increasingly worried Penny’s mother.
Ten-year-old Patrick can't help himself
For Patrick it was the skin: he simply couldn't stop and repeatedly picked and scratched even the smallest scab. His fingers looked terrible, the cuticles torn and inflamed, and his already split lips further damaged by picking and biting. Patrick’s lips were constantly inflamed because the cracks never healed properly.
His parents had tried almost everything; Patrick had even worn gloves, but never for long, because the compulsion was simply too strong. Explanations were ineffective, scolding likewise, and admonitions made the boy feel so guilty that he only became more nervous.
Unfortunately it got so bad that the parents even tried selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Due to catastrophic side effects this attempt failed and the medication had to be discontinued under medical supervision. Patrick's parents looked for a gentler solution.
Behind trichotillomania (compulsive hair-pulling) and the urge to constantly pick at the skin there can be impulse control disorders or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Both conditions are closely related to anxiety disorders.
These two cases remind me of another patient, Poppie, whom I treated many years ago. However, Poppie was not a prepubescent teenager but a female parrot…
An exotic parrot was brought to my office 23 years ago.
During the 45-minute case history Poppie politely remained on her owner's hand and listened attentively. Her owner not only reported Poppie's problems to me but repeatedly assured the parrot that she was an exceedingly pretty bird. That this was – to put it mildly – a white lie can be stated up front. Poppie was not an attractive paradise bird but more like a plucked chicken – about a third of her plumage was missing, her small body peppered with bald patches. The few feathers Poppie still had looked ragged and torn.
Poppie looked as if she had fallen into a Vitamix.
Poppie’s owner reported that the parrot had been plucking out her own feathers for about a year; it had started after the family moved into a new house.
I assumed that the emotional stress of the move was the trigger for the problem and prescribed Ignatia C200, one dose every three days. At our next meeting two months later Poppie's plumage was already a little denser. Not particularly pretty but at least somewhat better covered.
Two months later she came to see me again and, lo and behold, Poppie had become a truly handsome bird.
Ignatia was discontinued after three months and had brought about a thorough recovery.
About eight months later Poppie began plucking her feathers again and her owner immediately gave her Ignatia. The parrot improved straightaway and I never heard from the family again, so I assume the little bird is doing well.
Ignatia would also be my first choice for Penny and Patrick. For both I would recommend Ignatia C200, twice daily, and to review progress after eight weeks. We know Ignatia as a remedy for grief and sorrow, but in my experience it has a very broad spectrum of action and can be used for various emotional disorders and physical symptoms, including hair-pulling and skin-picking. It also treats diffuse anxieties well.
But nature is generous and in homeopathy we have many remedies available. In both of the cases here Ignatia is my first choice, but Stramonium and Tarantula hispanica are also options. Stramonium is indicated for sleep disturbances, anxieties, fear of the dark, temper tantrums and violent or aggressive behaviour, etc. Tarantula is another excellent remedy for restlessness and hair-pulling, especially when the patient complains of prickling pains (like small needles) or a tingling sensation on the skin as if insects were crawling over it.
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