DEAR DR. GOTT: I have a nine-year-old granddaughter who HAD long, beautiful, thick blonde hair. Her parents recently got a divorce and she has been pulling her hair out to the point her scalp bleeds. She says she can’t help herself bit it is really embarrassing to her and us as well. She has to wear a cap at times to cover the bald spots. We tried her on a small dose of Prozac which only made her not care how she looked. We took her off the drug and she got better for a while but she continues to pull her hair out. Please tell us if we can help her in any way. We have tried some counseling but she swears she cannot help the urges to pull it. Thank you.

DEAR READER: Your granddaughter is suffering from a condition known as trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder).
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