Hypnotherapy for Trichotillomania: What to Know

If you’ve seen hypnotherapy offered for hair pulling, you may be wondering whether it could help you, and what actually happens in a session. This guide explains how hypnotherapy for trichotillomania works, what the research does and doesn’t show, and how to choose a practitioner if you decide to try it.

Trichotillomania (trich) is a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB): a condition where people repeatedly pull, pick or bite at their own hair, skin or nails. It affects about 1 in 50 people, and it isn’t a bad habit or a lack of willpower.

What happens in hypnotherapy for trichotillomania?

A hypnotherapist guides you into a deeply relaxed, focused state, then offers suggestions linked to your goal, such as noticing when your hand moves towards your hair. You stay awake, you can hear everything, and you remain in charge of what you do. Hypnosis isn’t mind control, and you usually remember the session afterwards.

Sessions often last about an hour. Most move through four stages:

1. Induction. The practitioner talks in a calm, steady voice to help you settle and focus.
2. Deepening. Your relaxation and focus build, often with imagery such as walking down steps or resting somewhere peaceful.
3. Suggestions. The practitioner uses carefully chosen words and images linked to what you want to change.
4. Emergence. You return to normal alertness, usually feeling calm.

For hair pulling, suggestions tend to focus on awareness and choice. In one published case report, children were told they would become very aware whenever their hand began to move towards their head, and that they could then choose what to do. In another, teenagers were guided to picture themselves looking after and protecting their hair. Much hair pulling happens on autopilot, so building awareness matters. It’s also a core step in Habit Reversal Training.

What does the research say about hypnotherapy for trichotillomania?

The research is limited. A few small reports suggest hypnotherapy helped some young people pull less, but it hasn’t been tested in a large, well-designed trial, so we can’t yet say how well it works or who it suits best.

Here are the published studies we found:

A case report describes what happened to a few people, with no comparison group, and authors tend to write up the people who did well. Stronger evidence comes from randomised controlled trials, where people are assigned by chance to different treatments and compared. We couldn’t find a large randomised trial of hypnotherapy for trich. A 2003 review of trich treatment reached a similar view: with no controlled studies and widely varying techniques, no firm conclusion about hypnosis was possible.

In plain terms, hypnotherapy may help some people, and some people find it helpful, but the evidence is far thinner than for Habit Reversal Training. For how it compares with every other option, see our guide to trichotillomania treatment.

Can hypnotherapy be used alongside other treatment?

Yes, and the research that exists points that way. A 2008 review of hypnotherapy for children’s mental health, which found most of the evidence came from case reports, described it as a useful addition to talking therapies and family therapy rather than a standalone treatment.

If you want to try both, tell each practitioner about the other so they can fit their work together. You can read how HRT works, step by step, in our guide to Habit Reversal Training.

Keep taking any medicine you’ve been prescribed unless the doctor who prescribed it advises otherwise.

Is hypnotherapy safe?

For most people, hypnotherapy with a trained practitioner is safe. Unwanted effects are uncommon and usually pass. They can include dizziness, headache, nausea, drowsiness, anxiety or disturbed sleep.

It isn’t right for everyone. Hypnosis may not be safe for some people with severe mental illness, and it isn’t the right tool for working through past trauma, where it can stir up strong emotions. If you have a mental health condition, talk to your doctor before you start.

For children and teenagers, see a doctor first to rule out other causes of hair loss, choose a practitioner experienced with young people, and ask to be involved. If your child is a toddler, pulling at that age often stops on its own. Our guide to toddler hair pulling explains what to do.

How do I choose a hypnotherapist?

Look for someone with proper training in hypnosis, experience with hair pulling or other BFRBs, and a clear plan that doesn’t promise results. A short call before you book is the easiest way to find out.

Rules on who can call themselves a hypnotherapist differ between countries. Ask what training a practitioner has, which professional organisation they belong to, and whether it keeps a public register you can check. A health professional who has added hypnosis training to a recognised qualification, such as psychology or counselling, is another option.

Questions to ask before you book:

• What training in hypnosis do you have, and which professional organisation are you a member of?
• Have you worked with trichotillomania or other BFRBs before?
• What will our sessions involve, and how will we track whether it’s helping?
• How many sessions do you expect, and what will they cost?
• Are you happy to work alongside other treatment, such as Habit Reversal Training?

Be cautious if a practitioner:

• promises that one session will stop your pulling for good, or guarantees any result
• presses you to pay for a large block of sessions upfront
• tells you to stop other treatment or medicine
• insists your pulling must come from a hidden trauma that hypnosis will uncover

These warning signs apply to any practitioner, whatever their approach. Our list of questions to ask a therapist before you book works for hypnotherapists too.

When should I get help?

Get support if pulling is causing you distress, taking up a lot of your time, or affecting your work, studies or relationships. You don’t need to wait until it feels “bad enough”.

Everyone in our directory has told us they understand trichotillomania and already help people who pull, in person or online. Practitioners there use a range of approaches, including hypnotherapy. You can search the directory. Our guide to finding someone who understands trich explains what to look for.

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

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

• Find a helpline (international directory) (findahelpline.com)

Questions people ask

Sources

1. Zalsman, G., Hermesh, H. & Sever, J. (2001). Hypnotherapy in adolescents with trichotillomania: three cases. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 44(1), 63–68.
2. Iglesias, A. (2003). Hypnosis as a vehicle for choice and self-agency in the treatment of children with trichotillomania. American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis, 46(2), 129–137.
3. Shafaei, Narimani, Abolghasemi & Taklavi (2022). Comparing the effect of habit reversal and hypnotherapy on increasing the self-esteem of students with trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) and reducing their symptoms. Middle Eastern Journal of Disability Studies, 12.
4. Siddappa (2003). Trichotillomania. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology.
5. Huynh, M.E., Vandvik, I.H. & Diseth, T.H. (2008). Hypnotherapy in child psychiatry: the state of the art. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
6. Mayo Clinic. Hypnosis.
7. Cleveland Clinic. Hypnosis.
8. NHS. Complementary and alternative medicine.