Most actions we perform are intentional and deliberate. But stressful circumstances have a strange way of altering our mindfulness and focus. When we’re tense or anxious, habitual behavior takes over. When that freshly opened bag of cookies is suddenly half empty—and we don’t remember eating them—we’ve resorted to unconscious behavior to placate our emotional turmoil.
Nervous habits, such as nail-biting, are unappealing to watch. Even worse, they can exact a toll on the body. Check out our list to learn how the damage gets done.
Hair twirling and pulling
Habit: Twirling one’s hair can be a flirtatious gesture in social situations. But for people who twist their locks on a regular basis, the activity can bring health consequences. Obsessive hair twirling can be a nervous-system modulator, says Dr. Melissa Piliang, a dermatologist at Cleveland Clinic. In other words, she says, the activity can be soothing to someone who’s stressed or nervous, and stimulating to someone who’s bored.
Because constant hair twirling or pulling might suggest an unprofessional demeanor, many people who can’t control their hair-tugging habit have learned to do it privately, in their offices with the door closed.
Typically, Piliang says, twisters tug at a handful of hair. Other, highly nervous individuals may feel impelled to pluck the hair out of their scalp, usually one strand at a time. This can be an inherited condition known as trichotillomania, which makes the pullers feel emotionally soothed as a result. (These people, who often possess perfectionist tendencies, may also derive satisfaction from pulling out eyebrows and eyelashes.)
Damage: Hair-pulling may result in patchy areas of baldness and, over time, the hair follicles can become damaged, Piliang says. Because this obsessive activity is often rooted in shame and guilt, cognitive or behavioral therapy is one of the best ways to stop it, she says.
Posted in: America’s Top 8 Nervous Habits
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