An eight-year-old girl has been left almost bald after the stress of the pandemic and school disruptions triggered an unusual hair-pulling disorder, her family claim.
Amelia Mansie, from Bristol, began tearing her eyelashes off last April after becoming distressed during the first nationwide lockdown.
She then progressed to pulling out the hair on her head, according to her mother Jemma, who believes it was the result of not being able to see friends and family.
Amelia was eventually diagnosed with trichotillomania over the phone after struggling to get a face-to-face appointment with a GP.
But despite her diagnosis and the return of schools, the youngster has not been able to shake the habit.
Trichotillomania, thought to affect up to one in 50 people to varying degrees, sees people develop a strong impulse to pull their own hair out. It is similar to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and is usually triggered by stress, anxiety or trauma.
Amelia now only has a few long strands of hair left at the back of her head and will not leave her home without wearing a bandanna or wig.
Ms Mansie said: 'It's been very emotional as her mum to watch her go through this.
'I know that she is still beautiful and amazing regardless, but when I am washing her head it makes me so sad for her.'
Her mother added that Amelia has targeted by bullies for her hair loss since the return of schools earlier this year and has struggled to get access to children's mental health services due to the backlog that has amassed during the Covid crisis.
Amelia Mansie, from Bristol, had long hair before the second Covid lockdown last winter (left), but after pulling out her eyelashes during the first lockdown, she progressed to pulling out the hair on her head until she became nearly bald and was left with just a few long strands of hair at the back of her head (right, pictured in August)
Amelia (pictured this month) pulled out 'virtually all of her hair on her head' and was diagnosed with the hair pulling disorder trichotillomania, which is usually triggered by stress
Amelia's mother Jemma said her daughter seemed laid back about her hair pulling habit when it was less noticeable, but now 'no longer has the confidence to leave the house without wearing a bandanna or her wig'
Ms Mansie said Amelia's 'biggest worry is what people will think of her and if she will get bullied which triggers her even more'
As many as one in 50 people (0.5 to 2 per cent of the population) suffer from trichotillomania.
The NHS says the condition is most common in teenage girls and young females and can feel like a form of addiction.
The first signs of Amelia's condition was pulling out her eyelashes a month into the first lockdown last year, which her mother believes was triggered by coronavirus restrictions.
Ms Mansie said: 'She was all over the place with what was happening with her school because it was so disorganised due to the sudden lockdown that no one was prepared for.
'She couldn't see her friends and family, the stress of homeschooling with mum and dad who aren't teachers. It was just a lot of change for her.'
