Hair Pulling in Babies and Toddlers
Why Your baby?
Finding your baby or toddler pulling hair out is likely the last thing you need and we’re sorry to hear you're in this position. We're here to help support the family of a hair pulling child. There is every reason to hope that baby and toddler hair pulling is temporary. While you may never be comfortable with your child hair pulling, the following information and encouragement may help.
Some babies pull out hair and when this begins before the age of two, it is known as Infant onset trichotillomania or baby tric. You do not need to worry that this is the start of something bigger. The condition is more common than you might imagine. The baby or toddler is naturally fiddling with something that is constantly within reach, and possibly also exploring hair orally.
Babies are naturally curious and learn through touch, texture and repetition. It can help to avoid viewing your baby’s behaviour through an adult lens. Rather than asking, “What have I done wrong?”, try asking, “What might my baby need right now?” With patience, observation and gentle support, you and your baby can discover other ways to feel calm and comfortable.
There may be a genetic tendency towards conditions involving repetitive behaviours, difficulties with impulse control or obsessive-compulsive traits in some families. It is also possible that, in a small number of children, infections such as Streptococcal Pharyngitis may act as a trigger, particularly where there is already an underlying vulnerability.
Why is my baby pulling hair while sleeping? This is not uncommon and can often be counteracted with a soft sleep cap.
Absolutely not. Good parents often wonder whether something they have done might have caused baby hair pulling - you can relax. You've done nothing to cause this. Babies are individuals and develop many different ways of soothing themselves. Some of these behaviours are more helpful than others. Hair pulling is often simply one of the many ways that young children explore their world, comfort themselves or cope with tiredness and strong feelings.
Studies show that young childrens' minds are very different from adult minds. Your baby is likely just exploring the world through touch and texture. It can help to do your best not to project grown-up emotion to a baby's behaviour.
If your baby or toddler is pulling their hair, calm your own mind first. In most cases, hair pulling in young children is temporary and does not mean that anything is seriously wrong. Here are some gentle things you can do:
Notice when it happens
Does your child pull when they are:
Relaxing?
Tired?
Falling asleep?
Bored?
Upset or overwhelmed?
A simple diary can help you spot patterns.
Keep little hands busy
Some children pull because they enjoy the sensation. Offering alternatives can help. A soft blanket or comfort toy, a sensory fidget, a toy with a label or piece of silky fabric sewn in to their sleeve can help. Activities that involve using both hands are helpful, such as play dough or building blocks for older children.
Comfort rather than correct, respond rather than react
We know it's hard, but please try to avoid saying things like: “Stop doing that!” or pulling their hand away. Instead, try:“ I wonder what this feels like. Suppose you bite this?” A calm response is more helpful than a reactive one, or repeating the same words, reactively.
Reduce stress and tiredness Young children often pull more when they are overtired, unwell or going through big changes, such as starting nursery, a new sibling arriving, moving house, changes in routine. Extra cuddles, predictable routines and plenty of rest can all help.
Protect the hair if needed
If your child is creating sore patches or bald spots, you might find it helpful to keep hair a little shorter for a while (please don't shave it). Use a soft hat during sleep if your child tolerates it and keep nails trimmed, to make pulling harder.
We change the environment, not the child.
Rather than trying to force a child to stop pulling, we gently make pulling less necessary and provide other ways to feel calm, comforted or stimulated.
Most babies and toddlers who pull their hair do not need medical treatment. Hair pulling in young children is often a temporary, self-soothing behaviour that improves with time, understanding and gentle support.
You know your own child - perhaps better than anyone else. If something doesn’t feel right, it is always reasonable to speak to your GP or seek specialist support.
Consider speaking to your GP or seeking specialist advice if:
The pulling is causing significant hair loss and your child seems distressed by it.
If they pull out and eat the hair.
The pulling started suddenly after an illness or infection.
It is also okay to seek a doctor's advice if the behaviour continues for many months without improving or if you are worried or need reassurance.. Most parents find that understanding the behaviour and responding gently is enough to see improvement over time.
The good news is that most children who begin pulling their hair in babyhood grow beyond the behaviour and do not go on to develop lifelong trichotillomania. Quiet observation is very helpful. By noticing when your child pulls, what was happening beforehand and what seems to help, you can begin to understand what your child needs and gently encourage other ways of finding comfort and calm.
You do not have to work this out on your own. Support and reassurance can make a huge difference, both for you and for your child.
There are limited methods of self-management available to babies. Baby Tric is a self-soothing technique, and while self-soothing is to be encouraged, hair pulling, obviously, is not. You are still getting to know your baby, and how they adapt to the world around them. Observation is key to understanding. Then you can show them how to self-soothe positively.
In most cases, baby hair pulling is temporary and hair pulling in toddlers often improves with time. For a small number of children, the behaviour can continue into later childhood, which is why gentle observation and support are helpful.
You may want to call our UK helpline, +447910 114739. The helpline is manned by volunteers so if you can’t get through, do keep trying (but it is closed on Tuesdays). Our contact form is the best method of ensuring a reply.
Does Hair Pulling Hurt My Baby?
Probably not. They may be tired, but they are likely quite comfortable. We all cycle through stages of comfort and discomfort throughout the day. Hair pulling in babies usually occurs when they are comfortable and inactive, such as watching or listening to something.
Your baby hair pulling is not dangerous, neither is it anyone’s fault. You have done nothing wrong, and neither has your baby. There are many similar babyhood behaviours, like licking metal and glass and thumb-sucking, which soothe the child. Most people with trichotillomania find hair pulling relaxing, while people without trichotillomania might find it painful.
Trichotillomania is the compulsive hair pulling condition. Infant onset trichotillomania, often referred to as Baby Tric, begins before the baby is able to effectively use language.
Hair twisting is a fairly common behaviour in babyhood, which can be connected with hand, hair or thumb-sucking. Hair pulling in babyhood is often linked with putting things in the mouth and can be a type of trichotillomania, known as Baby Tric.
Support for your Child
Our resources are designed to help children feel calmer, more confident and in control.
Calming Strategies
- Roll a ball on baby's bare back while they lay on their tummy
- Take deep belly breaths and see if they copy
- Blow bubbles
Help baby self-soothe
Babies soon internalise the gentle voice the caregiver uses, so speak gently to the baby and play soothing music where they sleep.
Resources for families
Why Is My Toddler Pulling Their Hair Out?
If you find yourself asking why your toddler is pulling their hair out, try not to disappear down a rabbit hole of worry. The answer is often simpler than parents fear. One possibliity is that the toddler is pulling their hair out simply because they have discovered they can. They are learning what they can and can't do and whether or not to continue. Distraction is a clever response. Try ringing a bell or asking what is behind the sofa., to draw attention elsewhere.
Is Hair Pulling in Babies Normal?
It is normal for children to experiment. Most hair pulling doesn’t lead to visible differences and you can rest assured that what is noticeable to you, won’t really be as noticeable to other people. If your baby gets attention for hair pulling, they may do it more. Try to remain calm and neutral when it happens.
Anything YOU do with your hands, your child will want to mimic, so stroke a soft fabric on your face while making pleasant noises, and observe whether your baby wants to take it from you. Make some edible play dough, keep it accessible and play with it.
Good news: studies have shown that the younger the child, the more likely he or she is to grow beyond the pulling behaviour. Hair will certainly regrow and there are many techniques in this article which can help.
Distract. Cultivate interest in shape-sorting, ball rolling or other hands-on, active pursuits.
Spend time outdoors.
My Baby Had An Infection And Then Started Hair Pulling
If the baby has very recently started hair pulling and you can link it back to an infection, taking the baby to the doctor may prevent recurrences.
Practical Ways to Help a Baby Who Pulls Their Hair
We Change The Environment, Not The Child
Changing up layouts of rooms can help, keeping things in motion. Many hair pulling toddlers don’t like to be still or bored and it helps to reassure them while inactive. If you are a family who watches movies together, make sure to have frequent breaks and prepare fiddle toys in advance.
When the child fidgets, you can tell them they are safe.
We highly recommend that parents appear, at least to the baby, to ignore baby tric.
Add extra protein and zinc to the child’s diet, put plenty of coconut oil on their hair before bed and soothe yourself with baby safe items which you allow your baby to “borrow”. Tire the baby out as much as possible so there is not much time spent tired, which will be the highest risk time. Weighted blankets may help and gentle music or recorded stories should be left playing to reduce baby hair pulling while sleeping.
Keeping a Hair Pulling Diary
Parents: Identify and, if possible, record the baby’s hairpulling. View the baby monitor on fast forward to see when the pulling occurs (times of day), etc. Is there a ritual associated with the hair pulling?
- DON’T RECORD WHEN THE CHILD PULLS, FOCUS ON WHEN THEY DON’T PULL & WORK ON HOW TO INCREASE THOSE TIMES.
- Similarly, don’t tell the child not to touch their hair. Give them something else to hold, or place them temporarily in a situation where they can’t pull, with something such as a thumbsie.
BABYHOOD is a normal time for putting things in the mouth and stroking soft things. However, your hair pulling child may always be sensitive to textures. This is a GOOD thing – if you know that your child can be comforted with really soft toys and blankets, you can keep one or two softer toys aside for use when tired or unwell.
Play music while very gently brushing your baby’s hair at night and then add a little coconut oil by gently stroking it through. In very rare situations, the baby might like the taste of the coconut oil and eat more hair. This is very unlikely, but if it does occur, swap the coconut oil for Vaseline. The idea is to change the texture of the baby’s hair at night, so she doesn’t want to pull it. Observe the baby monitor to see if it makes a difference.
Revise strategies for stopping your child hair pulling when they can use language well enough to ask for what they want in sentences. NEVER make it a battle, as if you do, your child’s hair pulling will win.
Treatment of babyhood hair pulling is tricky but entirely possible. You can make an appointment to discuss it with us. We would be happy to help both you and your baby. We are interested in what happened to YOU. More research is needed to investigate genetic causes of hair pulling in babies, as well as to consider the connection between trauma in parents and grandparents, and babyhood hair pulling.
Most babies and toddlers who pull their hair improve with time, understanding and gentle support.
Medically reviewed 29 June 2026, review 14 January 2028
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Why does my baby pull their hair out?
The condition, trichotillomania, can start in very small babies and usually, if started this early, passes with time.
Why is my toddler pulling their hair out?
Toddlers experiment with all manner of behaviours and this is not necessarily a matter for concern, but if it bothers you, you deserve this safe space.
How do I help my hair pulling baby?
Make it more difficult for them to pull by using gentle coconut oil in the hair, use garments with closed hand covers and play music in the room where they sleep, to encourage movement which is not hair pulling.
Is my hair pulling child miserable?
It i s unlikely that your baby is feeling anything other than relaxation when they pull hair out. As hard as it is, this is outside of your control in many ways. If you relax, they will feel calmer.
How do I stop my baby hair pulling?
Aloe vera gel straight from the fridge can be comforting on bald spots and can change the texture of the hair so the baby no longer wants to fiddle with it.
Should I ignore baby pulling out hair?
Yes, it is a good idea to ignore hair pulling in babies, because anything that gets your focused attention can be considered rewarding to the baby.