Is hair pulling related to mental health issue?

There is a strong correlation between hair pulling and other body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), such as skin picking and nail biting, with many people who engage in one type of BFRB also engaging in others. It's estimated that about 75% of people with hair pulling disorder also have another type of BFRB.

A growing body of research suggests that there may be a common neurobiological basis for all these disorders, and that they may be related to problems with anxiety or stress regulation. For example, some studies have found that people with BFRBs are more likely to experience heightened levels of anxiety in response to stressful situations than people without these disorders.