Symptoms
While there is no known specific trichotillomnia cure, there are trichotillomania treatments. Most importantly, there is hope to control the hair pulling condition. A hair puller will not be 100% ‘cured’, and the trichotillomania sufferer will continue to be an ‘ex-trichotillomaniac’ and not a ‘non – trichotillomaniac’.
Causes
- Use the saying "every hair belongs on my head" and repeat this over and over until the urge to pull ceases.*
- Make yourself busy, too much downtime can be dangerous.*
- Help others, which in turn will help you.**
- Read everything you can on the internet about trichotillomania and the treatment plans to deal with it.*
Prevention
Two thirds of trichotillomania sufferers say they go into a trance (hypnotic) state when pulling their hair. Understanding this behaviour and bringing it under control assists with using hypnosis as a tool to treat this condition. Using hypnosis in addition to an existing treatment program has been shown to substantially increase treatment success.
Complications
Treatment usually involves:
- keeping a diary of your hair pulling
- working out the triggers for your hair pulling and learning how to avoid them
- replacing hair pulling with another action, like squeezing a stress ball
- loved ones providing emotional support and encouragement
Is there a cure for trichotillomania?
How to help someone dealing with trichotillomania?
Can hypnosis help with trichotillomania?
How can I stop trichotillomania?
What kind of mental disorder is trichotillomania?
What is trichotillomania? Trichotillomania (often abbreviated as TTM) is a mental health disorder where a person compulsively pulls out or breaks their own hair. This condition falls under the classification of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Is trichotillomania a Behavioural disorder?
Trichotillomania appears in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Version 5 or the DSM-5. This is the manual most mental health experts use to diagnose mental health-related conditions. The DSM-5 classifies trichotillomania as an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
What is the main cause of trichotillomania?
Causes of trichotillomania your way of dealing with stress or anxiety. a chemical imbalance in the brain, similar to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) changes in hormone levels during puberty.
Is trichotillomania a form of OCD?
Trichotillomania is on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, which means that it shares many symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), such as compulsive counting, checking, or washing.
Is trichotillomania caused by trauma?
We can conclude that trauma may play a role in development of both trichotillomania and skin picking. Increased duration of trichotillomania or skin picking was correlated with decreased presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms.
What are 3 symptoms of trichotillomania?
Noticeable hair loss, such as shortened hair or thinned or bald areas on the scalp or other areas of your body, including sparse or missing eyelashes or eyebrows. Preference for specific types of hair, rituals that accompany hair pulling or patterns of hair pulling. Biting, chewing or eating pulled-out hair.
Are there any celebrities with trichotillomania?
Grammy-award winner Justin Timberlake has been believed to have trichotillomania due to his admitted OCD. On the David Letterman show Justin discussed his struggle with OCD and ADD (attention deficit disorder) and how it affects his life in different ways, such as difficulty in completing daily tasks.
What is the best medication for trichotillomania?
SSRIs and clomipramine are considered first-line in TTM. In addition, family members of TTM patients are often affected by obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Other drugs used in the treatment of TTM are lamotrigine, olanzapine, N-Acetylcysteine, inositol, and naltrexone.
How do you beat trichotillomania?
How to Stop Compulsive Hair Pulling: 10 Things You Can Do to Beat TrichotillomaniaIdentify pulling behavior trends. ... Identify triggers. ... Practice mindfulness. ... Identify and dispute negative thoughts and feelings. ... Separate from the behavior. ... Create competing responses. ... Create stimulus controls.More items...•
Who is most affected by trichotillomania?
People typically develop "trich" around age 12, and 75 percent of those who have it are female, according to research findings. Their compulsive hair pulling often results in a "thin" appearance on the scalp, says Mouton-Odum. Some people also pluck other hairy areas, such as their eyebrows, eyelashes or body hair.
Are there different levels of trichotillomania?
There are two types of trichotillomania. One is called automatic pulling and the other is called focused pulling. Kids with automatic hair-pulling often don't even realize they're doing it.
What part of the brain does trichotillomania affect?
The results of the analysis, published in Brain Imaging and Behaviour in June, show that patients with trichotillomania have increased thickness in regions of the frontal cortex involved in suppression of motor responses: the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and other nearby brain regions.
Are there any celebrities with trichotillomania?
Grammy-award winner Justin Timberlake has been believed to have trichotillomania due to his admitted OCD. On the David Letterman show Justin discussed his struggle with OCD and ADD (attention deficit disorder) and how it affects his life in different ways, such as difficulty in completing daily tasks.
What is the most effective treatment for trichotillomania?
Habit reversal training. This behavior therapy is the primary treatment for trichotillomania. You learn how to recognize situations where you're likely to pull your hair and how to substitute other behaviors instead.
What causes trichotillomania in child?
The cause of trichotillomania is not known. For some children, trichotillomania becomes damaging and very difficult to control. Hair pulling can occur anytime but may become worse in stressful situations. Most children with trichotillomania feel shame, embarrassment or guilt about their hair loss.
What is the Rapunzel syndrome?
Rapunzel syndrome is an extremely rare condition seen in adolescents or young females with psychiatric disorders consisting of a gastric trichobezoar with an extension within the small bowel. The delays in diagnosis are common since in its early stages, it is usually asymptomatic.
How is trichotillomania diagnosed?
When seeking a diagnosis, most people with trichotillomania will acknowledge that they feel a compulsive need to pull out their own hair; beyond th...
Does trichotillomania ever go away?
The disorder is usually chronic and lifelong, but its severity may ebb and flow with time. However, with treatment and/or effective self-help str...
Is trichotillomania genetic?
Individuals with trichotillomania are more likely than others to have first-degree relatives with the condition, suggesting that the disorder runs...
Does anxiety lead to hair-pulling?
Anxiety is a common trigger for pulling episodes; for many with trich, pulling can be soothing and may provide temporary relief from feelings of an...
Is hair-pulling caused by trauma?
The connection between trauma and trichotillomania is not fully understood. Some small studies suggest that people with trichotillomania report a...
How does trichotillomania manifest in the brain?
Brain imaging studies have found that people with trichotillomania show increased thickness in areas of the frontal cortex related to the developme...
When should someone seek treatment for trichotillomania?
Many people with trichotillomania mistakenly believe that the behavior is due to their own lack of willpower and that they could stop on their ow...
What is the most effective treatment for hair-pulling disorder?
Therapy is considered the front-line treatment for all BFRBs, including trich. Cognitive behavioral therapy—either on its own or combined with a sp...
Which medications can help with trichotillomania?
Currently, no medications are specifically approved for the treatment of trichotillomania. However, some patients have benefited from antidepressan...
How to diagnose trichotillomania?
To diagnose trichotillomania, your doctor will talk to you about your medical history, as well as symptoms you may be experiencing. They will likely use the criteria in the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to see if your symptoms match up .
Why do people develop trichotillomania?
Researchers aren’t sure what causes trichotillomania. There may be a genetic reason why people develop it . Environmental factors may also play a role.
What is it called when you pull your hair out?
Trichotillomania (TTM) is a mental disorder in which people feel an overwhelming need to pull out their own hair. Research suggests that 0.5 to 2 percent. Trusted Source. of people have TTM.
What does it mean when you pull your hair?
hair pulling causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. hair pulling or hair loss that is not attributable to another medical condition (e.g., a dermatological condition)
When does trichotillomania start?
Trichotillomania usually develops during the adolescent years, but it’s been known to appear in young children, too. Once it starts, it can continue for several years, continuing through adulthood. It affects males and females equally in childhood but can affect females more often during adulthood.
Is trichotillomania underdiagnosed?
Trichotillomania is often underdiagnosed. Those who have symptoms may feel embarrassed or afraid to talk to their doctor about what they are experiencing. Symptoms may affect a person for just a few months, while it may affect another person off and on for many years.
Can trichotillomania cause bald spots?
For people with trichotillomania, that may include an overwhelming urge to pull out your own hair. Over time, repeatedly pulling hair out can lead to bald spots and even more emotional distress.
What is a trigotillomania?
Trichotillomania is one of several body-focused repetitive behaviors(BFRBs) currently classified in the DSM-5as Obsessive Compulsiveand Related Disorders. The disorder is also thought to share characteristics with impulse-control disorders. Trichotillomania affects up to 2 percent of the population, though only about half of those are thought to receive some form of treatment.
When does trichotillomania start?
The onset of trichotillomania often coincides with the onset of puberty, and symptoms typically first appear between the ages of 10 to 13. However, symptoms may also manifest in infants, younger children, older teens, or adults.
What is it called when you pull your hair out?
Trichotillomania is a condition characterized by a compulsive urge to pull out one’s hair. It is commonly referred to as “trich” or “hair-pulling disorder” and is sometimes shortened to “TTM.” Hair-pulling can occur anywhere on the body—though it most often affects the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes—and can range from mild to severe.
Why is TTM not diagnosed?
TTM is not diagnosed when hair loss is due to substance abuse, a dermatological condition, or another physical or psychological problem.
Why do people not seek treatment for TTM?
Shame and other negative feelings prevent many people from seeking treatment specifically for TTM. Because the disorder is not widely known or understood, many who struggle with it are not aware that it's a mental health condition for which they can seek treatment. While some have speculated that those who do not pursue treatment may have less severe symptoms and fewer negative feelings about the condition than those who do, research results indicate that the severity and duration of hair pulling is similar for those who seek treatment and those who do not.
How to deal with TTM?
According to the DSM-5, individuals with TTM may also: Experience feelings of distress, shame, anxiety, and embarrassment about their condition. Avoid developing close relationships. Refrain from attending group activities. Use scarves, wigs, alternative hairstyles, or makeup to cover up areas of the body with noticeable hair loss. ...
What does it mean when you pull hair from your head?
The primary symptom is an urge to pull hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic or other area of the body. The behavior is compulsive and results in significant hair loss that can lead to alopecia, or bald spots on the scalp.
What causes trichotillomania?
Doctors do not know what causes a person to develop trichotillomania.
When does trichotillomania develop?
Most people with trichotillomania develop the condition in adolescence. Some of these people may then struggle with the condition continually or intermittently throughout adulthood.
How do you know if you have trichotillomania?
A person with trichotillomania may experience the following behavioral and physical symptoms: repetitive pulling of their hair, often without any awareness. a sense of relief after pulling out hair. inability to stop hair pulling, despite repeated attempts to stop. anxiety and stress related to hair pulling.
What is it called when you pull your hair out?
Summary. Trichotillomania, or pathological hair pulling, is a common but underdiagnosed psychological disorder. People with trichotillomania experience an overwhelming urge to pull out their hair. Many people who have trichotillomania may not know that they have a diagnosable condition.
What is a rare medical disorder that can greatly affect a person's quality of life?
Trichotillomania is a rare medical disorder that can greatly affect a person’s quality of life.
How many people with trichotillomania have a low quality of life?
According to the American Journal of Psychiatry, almost a third of people with trichotillomania say they have a low quality of life.
How much of the population is affected by trichotillomania?
According to an article in the American Journal of Psychiatry. Trusted Source. , researchers estimate that trichotillomania affects between 0.5% to 2% of the population. Trichotillomania appears to be equally prevalent among males and females during adolescence.
How do you know if you have trichotillomania?
Specific Symptoms of Trichotillomania. 1. Recurrent pulling out of one’s hair resulting in noticeable hair loss. 2. Repeated attempts to decrease or stop the hair pulling. 3. The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. 4.
What is it called when you pull your hair out?
Trichotillomania Symptoms. Trichotillomania is primarily characterized by the recurrent pulling out of one’s own hair. Hair pulling may occur from any region of the body — such as your scalp, eyelids or eyebrows. Less common areas where trichotillomania occurs includes pulling out facial hair, pulling out hair from your arms, legs, armpits, ...
How to tell if you have trichotillomania?
A person with trichotillomania cannot control or resist the urge to pull out his or her body hair. Other symptoms that might occur with this disorder include the following: 1 A sense of tension before pulling hair or when trying to resist the urge to pull hair 2 A feeling of relief, satisfaction and/or pleasure after acting on the impulse to pull hair 3 Presence of bare patches where the hair has been pulled out 4 Presence of other associated behaviors such as inspecting the hair root, twirling the hair, pulling the hair between the teeth, chewing on the hair, or eating hair (called trichophagia)
What kind of doctor would you see for trichotillomania?
If trichotillomania is suspected, the doctor might refer the person to a psychiatrist or psychologist (healthcare professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illnesses).
What is it called when you pull out hair?
Trichotillomania involves an irresistible urge to pull out hair. This behavior occurs to the point of noticeable hair loss. The most common areas for hair pulling are the scalp, eyelashes and eyebrows, but the person may pull out hair anywhere on the body. In children, trichotillomania occurs equally in males and females.
What is the term for eating hair?
Presence of other associated behaviors such as inspecting the hair root, twirling the hair, pulling the hair between the teeth, chewing on the hair, or eating hair (called trichophagia)
Is trichotillomania a biological disorder?
The exact cause of trichotillomania is not yet known, but it appears to involve both biological and behavioral factors. The risk of developing trichotillomania is slightly higher in people who have relatives with the disorder, suggesting that a tendency for the disorder to be inherited. In some cases, people with trichotillomania also have other disorders such as depression or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Can children recover from trichotillomania?
Children often recover completely from trichot illomania. In adults, however, the disorder tends to be chronic (ongoing) and harder to treat.
Can trichotillomania cause you to pull your hair out?
A person with trichotillomania cannot control or resist the urge to pull out his or her body hair. Other symptoms that might occur with this disorder include the following: A sense of tension before pulling hair or when trying to resist the urge to pull hair.
How many people have trichotillomania?
Occurring more frequently in females, it is estimated that 1%-2% of adults and adolescents suffer from trichotillomania. In general, trichotillomania is a chronic condition that will come and go throughout an individual’s life if the disorder is not treated. For some individuals, the disorder may come and go for weeks, months, or years at a time. ...
How long does trichotillomania last?
For some individuals, the disorder may come and go for weeks, months, or years at a time. [1] There is no certain cause of trichotillomania, but the current way of looking at trichotillomania is as a medical illness.
What is the term for pulling hair out of your body?
Trichotillomania is a body-focused repetitive behavior classified as an impulse control disorder (along the lines of pyromania, kleptomania, and pathologic gambling) which involves pulling out one's hair. Hair pulling may occur in any region of the body in which hair grows but the most common sites are the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelids.
What does it mean when you pull out your hair?
An increasing sense of tension immediately before pulling out the hair or when resisting the behavior. Pleasure, gratification, or relief when pulling out the hair. The disturbance is not accounted for by another mental disorder and is not due to a general medical condition (i.e., dermatological condition)
What is a mental illness characterized by a persistent preoccupation with at least one perceived defect or flaw in?
Body dysmorphic disorder ( BDD) is a mental illness characterized by a persistent preoccupation with at least one perceived defect or flaw in a person’s physical appearance.
What are the two methods of treatment that have been scientifically researched and found to be effective?
The two methods of treatment that have been scientifically researched and found to be effective are behavioral therapy and medications , which are generally used in combination.
What is disturbance in social work?
The disturbance causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning. Distress may include feeling a loss of control, embarrassment, or shame and impairment may occur due to avoidance of work, school, or other public situations.
How to stop trichotillomania?
Parental involvement is important and should include enough support so that affected children grow well intellectually, physically, and socially. Shaving or clipping hair close to the scalp may be helpful to stop the behavior. [4]
What is the disorder where you pull your hair out?
Listen. Trichotillomania is a disorder characterized by an overwhelming urge to repeatedly pull out one's own hair, resulting in hair loss ( alopecia ). [1] [2] It is classified under the obsessive-compulsive and related disorders category. Trichotillomania results in highly variable patterns of hair loss. The scalp is the most common area of hair ...
What is the most common area of hair pulling?
Trichotillomania results in highly variable patterns of hair loss. The scalp is the most common area of hair pulling, followed by the eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic and perirectal areas, axillae, limbs, torso, and face. The resulting alopecia can range from thin unnoticeable areas of hair loss to total baldness. Some people chew or swallow the hair ...
How to make a diagnosis for a genetic disorder?
Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.
What is the purpose of the study on trichotillomania?
The aim of this study is to determine the relationship of traumatic life events, symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and dissociation in patients with diagnoses of trichotillomania and skin picking disorder.
Why is post traumatic stress associated with self harming?
The reason for the negatively correlation of severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms and self-harming behavior may be speculated as developing trichotillomania or skin picking symptoms helps the patient to cope with intrusive thoughts related to trauma.
