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Hypnotherapy for Trichotillomania, Hair Pulling and Skin Picking
An hour disappears in front of the mirror, or on the couch with your fingers in your hair. Afterwards comes the shame. Pulling and picking aren’t a lack of willpower. Hypnotherapy for trichotillomania, used with habit reversal, can help you catch the urge earlier and ease what drives it.
At a glance: 4 sessions by video. $1,000 in total paid upfront, or $1,200 paid session by session.
Or call 0427 218 092
15-minute phone call, no obligation. I’ll call you within 24 hours. See what it costs
- 14 yearsin clinical practice
- FellowAustralian Society of Clinical Hypnotherapists
- AHA approvedCPD courses I teach other hypnotherapists
- 1 to 1with Ernest, by video from home
Ernest McLeod, clinical hypnotherapistAn Adelaide practice, seeing clients across Australia by video. Fourteen years in practice.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- You find yourself pulling while you read, study, drive or scroll, and only notice later.
- You search your scalp, eyebrows or eyelashes for a hair that feels wrong.
- You hunt for rough spots on your skin, and can’t leave one alone once you’ve found it.
- You plan your clothes or make-up around hiding bald patches or sore skin.
- There’s a brief sense of relief, then a longer stretch of regret.
- You’ve never told anyone the full extent of it.
If that’s familiar, you’re far from rare. A 2021 review estimated that each of these conditions affects around 2% of people at any one time. If you feel low or hopeless most days, please talk to your GP as well.
Why hair pulling is so hard to stop
Pulling is hard to stop because it does a job for you. For many people it soothes tension, fills boredom or settles a restless feeling. That brief relief is what keeps the habit going, even when you hate the result. There’s no single known cause, and it isn’t your fault.
It also comes in two styles. Some pulling is automatic: your hand is busy and your mind is elsewhere. Some is focused: you go looking for the right strand because an impulse is building. Many people do both. Being told to “just stop” helps with neither, and the secrecy and shame make it harder still.
How hypnosis helps with hair pulling and skin picking
Hypnosis helps by lowering the tension behind the urge to pull. It also makes a new response easier to reach. It’s a relaxed, focused state. You’re fully aware and in charge the whole time, and it isn’t sleep.
The method comes from habit reversal. First you learn to notice the early signs: where your hands go, and what you feel just before. Then you practise a competing response, like folding your arms or holding something textured. We also add friction, such as a close-fitting beanie or tape on your fingertips. In trance we rehearse your high-risk moments, so the urge carries less weight when it comes.
In my practice, I spend the first session mapping your pulling or picking: the room, the time of day, and the feeling just before. I never need to see your hair or skin to do that.
I’d encourage you to see a psychologist as well, ideally a therapist who knows habit reversal. Our work is designed to sit alongside that, not to replace it.
How hypnotherapy for trichotillomania works online
You have four private video sessions, joining from wherever you feel most at ease.
- A free 15-minute call
You tell me what’s going on, at whatever level of detail feels OK. I tell you honestly whether I think I can help. No obligation, and no hard sell. Ask me anything you like about hypnosis too, such as how it feels or whether you stay in charge.
- Session one, up to 90 minutes
We work out your own pattern and triggers, pick your competing response, and start the trance work.
- Sessions two to four, up to 60 minutes each, and a recording for the hard moments
We look at what the urges did this week. Then we strengthen what helped and change what didn’t. You get an audio to use between sessions, for evenings or study time when urges tend to build.
Trance needs your focus, not me being in the room. For something many people find hard to talk about, starting from home can make the first conversation easier. Use a quiet room, a steady connection and headphones. If the call drops, I’ll phone you straight back.
Wondering if this could suit you?Ask me on a free call. It’s fifteen minutes by phone, and you only share what you want to.
What the research actually says
Behaviour therapy with habit reversal has the strongest evidence for this condition. A 2020 meta-analysis by Farhat and colleagues found it had the largest treatment effects of anything studied. For skin picking the research is smaller. A 2016 review found the controlled evidence only moderate.
For hypnosis, the honest answer is that I could find no randomised trial for either condition. A 2017 review of skin picking treatments confirmed that none had been done. What’s published is mostly case reports, often mixing trance with behavioural methods. That’s why I use it to support the techniques that have the evidence, not as the treatment itself.
Is hypnosis for trichotillomania safe?
For most adults, yes. It involves no medicine. After-effects are mild, like feeling tired or a bit emotional for an hour or two. See your GP first if you have an infected patch of skin, or hair loss you can’t explain.
Start somewhere else if you live with psychosis, or with a serious mental health condition that isn’t under care. Keep seeing your GP or psychologist while we work together. On the free call, I’ll say so honestly if I think another kind of help should come first.
What hypnotherapy for trichotillomania costs: $1,000
Four sessions cost $1,000 in total when paid upfront, or $300 each as you go. Four gives us room to find your pattern, build your response and test it in real weeks.
4-session program: $1,000
Pay $1,000 upfront, which works out at $250 a session. Or pay $300 per session as you go, which is $1,200 for all four.
- Upfront: $1,000 in total. $250 a session.
- As you go: $300 a session. $1,200 in total.
- Session one runs up to 90 minutes. The other three run up to 60 minutes each.
- Includes your audio recording and simple self-hypnosis to use between sessions.
- Prepaid sessions last 12 months. You can use spare ones for another issue, or give them to someone you know.
- Card or bank transfer, in AUD. No GST applies.
Or call 0427 218 092
Please see your GP as wellHair-pulling and skin-picking disorders are recognised health conditions. A GP is a good first step. They can check for skin conditions that cause itching or hair loss, and treat wounds that look infected. They can also refer you to a psychologist with a Medicare rebate through Better Access. If you’re a parent worried about a child, see your local doctor early. What we do sits well alongside all of that.
Who you’ll be working with
I’m Ernest McLeod, in clinical practice for fourteen years. My practice is in Adelaide, and I see clients all over Australia by video. For twenty years before that I was a software engineer and designer. So I tend to care more about what works than what sounds impressive.
- Time Line Therapy® Practitioner
- Fellow, ASCH
- Trainer: AHA-approved CPD courses
- Certified NLP Practitioner
To be clear about what I’m not: my field isn’t a registered profession in Australia. I’m not AHPRA-registered, and I’m not a psychologist. My ASCH Fellowship is voluntary. I also train other hypnotherapists. My courses on quitting smoking, vaping and gambling count as professional development (CPD), approved by the Australian Hypnotherapists’ Association. More about me
Questions people ask about trichotillomania and hair pulling
Does hypnotherapy work for trichotillomania?
There’s no randomised trial to say. Habit reversal has the strongest evidence. A 2020 meta-analysis found it had the largest effects of any treatment studied. For hypnosis, what’s published is mostly case reports. So I use trance to support habit reversal, alongside a psychologist where possible.
What is the success rate for hair pulling?
I don’t give one. No good trial has measured it, so any number would be a guess. I’d rather you weigh up the research above, with its sources listed at the bottom of the page.
Is trich a form of OCD or ADHD?
It’s its own condition, a repetitive behaviour focused on the body. The main psychiatric manual groups it with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. But it isn’t OCD, and it isn’t ADHD. Some people have one of those as well. Your GP can help you sort out what’s going on.
Which therapy has the strongest evidence?
Behaviour therapy built on habit reversal. A psychologist who knows it is a good place to start. Your GP can refer you through Better Access.
Will my hair grow back?
That’s a question for your GP or a dermatologist, who can take a proper look. I won’t guess at it.
Will I have to show you my hair or skin?
No. You share what you’re comfortable sharing. What matters to the work is when and how it happens, not what it looks like.
What can I do in the meantime?
healthdirect suggests a few practical things. Squeeze a stress ball when the urge comes. Keep your hair short, or wear a close-fitting beanie. Put tape or band-aids on your fingertips. None of them fixes it on its own, but each adds a moment of friction.
How many sessions are in the program?
Four. We review how things are going at each one. If I think you need a different kind of help, I’ll tell you.
Will I lose control in trance?
No. You stay aware, you remember what happens, and you can stop whenever you like. The point is more say over your hands, not less.
What if the pulling comes back?
Let me know early. Setbacks can follow stress or a change in routine, and we can plan for them. If this approach isn’t right for you, I’ll suggest what might be. Unused prepaid sessions remain yours for 12 months.
Is it covered by Medicare or my health fund?
It isn’t covered by Medicare, and you don’t need a GP referral to start. Some health funds cover it under extras, so check with yours first.
Ready when you are
Let me know a good time and I’ll ring you within 24 hours. It’s a short, private chat, with no obligation.
Request a free consultationOr call 0427 218 092
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Where these numbers come from
Grant JE, Chamberlain SR (2021). Trichotillomania and skin-picking disorder: an update. Focus 19(4): 405-412. doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20210013. Source of the point prevalence of around 2% for each condition, and of their grouping with obsessive-compulsive and related disorders.
Farhat LC, Olfson E, Nasir M, Levine JLS, Li F, Miguel EC, Bloch MH (2020). Pharmacological and behavioral treatment for trichotillomania: an updated systematic review with meta-analysis. Depression and Anxiety 37(8): 715-727. doi.org/10.1002/da.23028.
Selles RR, McGuire JF, Small BJ, Storch EA (2016). A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychiatric treatments for excoriation (skin-picking) disorder. General Hospital Psychiatry 41: 29-37. doi.org/10.1016/j.genhosppsych.2016.04.001.
Lochner C, Roos A, Stein DJ (2017). Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder: a systematic review of treatment options. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment 13: 1867-1872. doi.org/10.2147/NDT.S121138. Source of the statement that no randomised trials of hypnosis for skin picking have been done. healthdirect, Trichotillomania: healthdirect.gov.au/trichotillomania. I’ll always show you where a number came from.
This is a complementary therapy, not medical treatment, a diagnosis, or a substitute for care from your doctor or a psychologist. If your symptoms are severe or persistent, please speak to your GP. Last updated 9 October 2026.