During the United Kingdom national lockdown last year, nine-year-old Amelia Mansie began tearing her lashes as she couldn’t cope with the stress of the lockdown, her family said.
She eventually proceeded to pull her hair which has now left her almost bald.
According to her family, Amelia couldn’t cope with the stress of COVID-19 and the inability to see her family and friends during the pandemic.
Her mother, Ms. Mansie said the lockdown “was just a lot of change for her.”
As reported by Dailymail a daily UK newspaper, the little girl was eventually diagnosed with a rare disorder called trichotillomania.
The disorder “is thought to affect up to one in 50 people to varying degrees, and sees people develop a strong impulse to pull their own hair out.
It is similar to obsessive-compulsive disorder and is usually triggered by stress, anxiety or trauma.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, an online medical centre, trichotillomania, also called hair-pulling disorder, is a mental disorder that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from one’s scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body, despite trying to stop.
Speaking with Daily Mail, on what triggered the condition, her mother said “she was all over the place with what was happening with her school because it was so disorganised due to the sudden lockdown that no one was prepared for.
“She couldn’t see her friends and family, the stress of homeschooling with mum and dad who aren’t teachers. It was just a lot of change for her.”
Fearing that the condition may get worse, her mother began coordinating weekly sessions for her daughter with the school therapist while her family is also paying for private hypnotherapy sessions.
Amelia also uses fidget toys – one of the coping mechanisms recommended for people when they feel the urge to pull their hair.
Despite the diagnosis, treatments and return to school, the little girl has not been able to quit the habit, Daily Mail reported.
The UK news site reported that “Amelia now only has a few long strands of hair left at the back of her head and will not leave her home without wearing a bandana or wig.”
Her mother also said Amelia has been targeted by bullies for her hair loss since the return of schools earlier this year and “has struggled to get access to children’s mental health services.”
Daily Mail reported her mother as saying “I know this is something that will probably be with her for the rest of her life, but I just need to know that I have done everything I can to help her.
“’There is little support for the condition and although so many people suffer from it, there isn’t much awareness about it.
“Her school has been as helpful and supportive as they can be during the lockdowns and now, she has returned to school.
“What makes it difficult is the lack of knowledge and awareness of trichotillomania.
“My main priority is wanting to help Amelia get her confidence back and accept who she is,” she said.