Pulling Body Hair: Arms, Legs and Other Areas

If you pull hair from your arms, legs, pubic area or another part of your body, you may have wondered whether it “counts” as trichotillomania, or whether anyone else does it. Pulling body hair is a common part of trich, even though people rarely talk about it.

This guide explains when it’s trichotillomania, why it happens and what helps.

Is pulling body hair trichotillomania?

It can be. Trichotillomania isn’t defined by where the hair comes from. Doctors diagnose it when someone pulls out their hair again and again, has tried more than once to cut down or stop, and finds it distressing or disruptive. Hair pulled from the arms, legs, pubic area, underarms or chest counts in the same way as hair pulled from the scalp.

Some kinds of hair removal are not trich:

Grooming for looks. Tweezing or waxing only to change how you look isn’t trich. With trich, you keep pulling when you don’t want to.
Removing hair to fix a flaw you see. If you remove hair mainly because you believe it looks ugly or abnormal, a doctor may consider body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), where people become preoccupied with flaws in their appearance that others barely notice.
A skin problem. Itchy conditions such as eczema or psoriasis can cause scratching and hair loss. A doctor will rule these out.

Trich is a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB): a condition where people repeatedly pull, pick or bite at their hair, skin or nails. It isn’t a bad habit, a lack of willpower or self-harm. Our complete guide to trichotillomania covers diagnosis, causes and treatment in depth.

Which parts of the body do people pull from?

Any part where hair grows. After the scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes, the areas people mention most are:

The pubic area. About half of people in one large survey pulled from here. It’s one of the most common areas and one of the most hidden. Some people also pull from around the bottom.
Legs and arms, including thighs, shins and forearms.
Underarms.
Chest, stomach and back.
Face, beard and moustache.

Many people pull from more than one area, and the main area often moves over time. Someone might pull their eyebrows as a teenager and their leg hair years later. Pulling leg hair, arm hair or pubic hair can all be part of the same condition.

Hair can be pulled from anywhere it grows. Many people pull from more than one place, and the main place can change over time.

If you’re a man who pulls from your beard, chest or body, our guide to trichotillomania in men looks at this in more detail.

Why does it happen?

For the same reasons as scalp pulling. Pulling brings relief, satisfaction or calm for a moment, and your brain learns to go back to it. Common triggers:

Sensations. Many people search by touch for hairs that feel different: coarse, wiry, stubbly or regrowing. A bump, an itch or an ingrown hair can start a search.
Feelings. Stress, anxiety, boredom, tension or tiredness.
Places and routines. Body hair is close to hand when you’re sitting, lying in bed, in the bath or getting dressed.

Automatic pulling happens without you noticing, often while you read, watch TV or lie in bed. Focused pulling comes with a building urge and your full attention. Most people do both. Our guide to focused and automatic pulling explains why the difference matters.

A 2024 study of 153 adults with trich found that different body areas tended to go with different settings, tools and styles of pulling. So it helps to look at each area on its own.

If you’ve wondered why certain hairs feel so satisfying to find and pull, read why pulling hair feels good.

Why is body hair pulling so hard to talk about?

Because it’s private, and shame is part of the condition. Pulling from covered parts of the body can feel too embarrassing to mention, even to a doctor. In one large study, 87% of people with trich felt health professionals knew little about it, which makes speaking up harder.

Hidden pulling still counts, and it deserves support. You can start by naming only the part you feel ready to share.

What helps?

The same approaches that help scalp pulling. Therapy based on Habit Reversal Training (HRT) has the most research behind it. HRT teaches you to notice when you pull and to do something with your hands that you can’t do while pulling. In controlled studies it did better than waiting for treatment, and gains generally held for three to six months.

Therapists may add acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), which helps you make room for urges without acting on them, or use the ComB model, which matches a strategy to each thing that drives your pulling.

Practical steps for body hair:

Track it. Note which area, where you were and how you felt.
Cover the area. Clothing is a simple barrier. Try long sleeves, leggings or long pyjamas, or snug shorts in bed.
Put tools out of reach. If you use tweezers, keep them out of the bathroom and bedroom.
Give your hands a job. Keep a textured fidget or stress ball where you usually pull.
Use a competing response. When an urge comes, clench your fists gently and hold for about a minute, until it eases.
Be gentle with your skin. The UK’s NHS warns that picking or squeezing ingrown hairs can damage skin and lead to infection.
Plan for stubble. If you trim or shave, stubbly regrowth is a common trigger, so have barriers ready.

Cover the area, put tools out of reach, and give your hands something else to do.

Our guide on how to stop pulling your hair has a step-by-step plan for urges and triggers. You can read more about Habit Reversal Training in our full guide. There’s also a plain-English guide to the ComB model.

Can pulling body hair damage my skin?

Sometimes. The usual effects are hair loss and sore skin, but local skin infections have been reported. Pulling from one spot for years can damage follicles, so hair may regrow thinner or not at all. Plucking can also cause ingrown hairs, which can become a new trigger.

When should I get help?

Get support if pulling causes you distress, takes up a lot of time, or affects your relationships or intimacy. The same goes if you avoid swimming or changing rooms because of it, or self-help hasn’t made much difference after a few months. You don’t need to wait until it feels bad enough.

A doctor can check your skin and rule out other causes. For the pulling itself, working with someone who understands trich often helps. Everyone in our directory has told us they understand trichotillomania and already help people who pull, in person or online. You can search the directory.

Our guide to finding someone who understands trich explains what to ask on a first call. For every option and the evidence behind each, see our guide to trichotillomania treatment.

If you’re feeling very low or hopeless, please talk to someone today.

In an emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department.

988 Suicide Crisis Helpline — 988 (988.ca)

Questions people ask

Is pulling pubic hair a common part of trichotillomania?

Yes. In one large survey of people with trich, about half said they pulled pubic hair, making it one of the most common areas after the scalp and eyebrows. It’s also one of the most hidden. It works the same way as other pulling and responds to the same kinds of help.

Will my body hair grow back after pulling?

In most cases, yes. Hair follicles are tough and usually recover once pulling eases. Pulling from the same spot for many years can damage follicles, so hair there may grow back thinner or patchy. That’s a reason to get support sooner, not a reason to think it’s too late.

Why do I pull more in the bath, in bed or when I’m getting dressed?

These are quiet, private moments when your hands are free and your skin is easy to reach. Automatic pulling tends to slip in when your mind is idle. Research also suggests each pulling area has its own typical settings, which is why tracking where you pull helps.

Should I tell my doctor that I pull body hair, even from my pubic area?

Yes, if you feel able to. A doctor can check that nothing else, such as a skin infection or skin condition, is causing hair loss or itching. You can write it down and hand it over if saying it out loud feels too hard.

Do men pull body hair too?

Yes. Men pull from the scalp, beard, chest, arms, legs and elsewhere. Men are diagnosed less often than women, partly because shaving and short hair make pulling easier to hide, and men are less likely to ask for help.

Can medication help with pulling body hair?

No medicine is licensed specifically for trichotillomania. The supplement N-acetylcysteine (NAC) reduced pulling in a controlled study in adults, though the research wasn’t focused on body hair. Talk to a doctor or pharmacist before trying anything, especially if you take other medicines.