Wow, I do this exact same thing! I almost want to say there's something simultaneously soothing and fascinating about unraveling a strand of hair into smaller fibers. I don't know if that's symbolic of something or if it's a meaningless quirk.

Mine started when I was a kid. My parents divorced when I was five (I was caught up in an ugly custody battle for several years afterward), and prior to that I had to witness a lot of fighting and substance abuse in my household. I think the hair pulling may have started as a self-soothing mechanism. I also have OCD. It's mild now but was really bad when I was a child. Trichotillomania is widely recognized as a symptom of OCD. It's a compulsion.

Fortunately I've never developed bald spots. I have, however, broken the ends of my hair in certain sections to where it looks raggedy and shorter than the rest of my hair and my hairdresser has to trim the rest to help the damaged section blend in. I've tried to stop cold turkey but have never been successful for more than a couple days. My hands find their way unconsciously back into my hair, I find a split strand that I want to unravel, and I tell myself "okay, just ONE." And of course I relapse totally from there.

It's almost like an addiction. Like trying to quit smoking or drinking. I've often thought about trying to wean myself away from doing it. Like giving myself designated periods of time when I can touch my hair and then making those times shorter and further apart until it's prohibited entirely. Maybe that's a method you could try. If you find yourself more inclined to pull hair at night, give yourself a 20-minute (or whatever) block of time where it's "allowed." Once the time is up, you're not allowed to pull your hair until the following evening at the same time. Something like that.

Of course if you think hypnosis may be worth trying, go for it. It's shown promise in helping people overcome addictions like smoking or compulsive eating. Cognitive behavioral therapy may be beneficial as well, especially given your history of anxiety. Look for a therapist that specializes in CBT. That would be my suggestion.

I hope this has been helpful and that you don't feel quite so alone.