This is the page that helped me realise I wasn't alone: Trichotillomania

I started pulling my hair out when I was about 12, I think...I can't remember exactly why I started either. Because my hair is very thick I never had an actual bald patch, but my mum pointed out to me after a year or so that the hair at the back of my head was getting much thinner, which made me cut down, but I couldn't stop.

I discovered that page a couple of years ago, and it made me think about why I was doing it - it was mostly when I was feeling stressed or bored, and it got worse when I was revising for exams. I joined here, and the support I got from the members gave me the courage to try and quit, and after quite a few failed attempts and some cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) I've now been pull-free for almost 11 months. It's hard, and I still have to be careful about touching my hair, but it can be done!

Other than the therapy, what's helped me most is just trying to keep my hands away from my head wherever possible - some people wear gloves, but I found wearing a hat or a hood worked better. If I'm in class (or lectures now - I started university a couple of months ago), though, that's not an option, so the next best thing is to keep the hand you normally pull with occupied - I hold either a pen lid or an eraser, generally.

Hope this helped!