Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania is hair loss from compulsive pulling or twisting of the hair until it breaks off.
- it is a compulsive behaviour
- may affect 4% of the population, and women are four times as likely to be affected than men
- symptoms usually begin before age 17
- the hair may come out in round patches or across the scalp
- the person may pluck other hairy areas, such as the eyebrows, eyelashes, or body hair.
These symptoms are usually seen in children:
An uneven appearance to the hair
Bare patches or all around (diffuse) loss of hair
Bowel blockage (obstruction) if people eat the hair they pull out
Constant tugging, pulling, or twisting of hair
Denying the hair pulling
Hair regrowth that feels like stubble in the bare spots
Increasing sense of tension before the hair pulling
Other self-injury behaviors
Sense of relief, pleasure, or gratification after the hair pulling
Psychological treatment can include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and psychotropic medications. Young children tend to outgrow the behaviour.
