Trichotillomania Symptoms, Causes, Treatment

Trichotillomania is a feeling of strong urges to pull out your hair from the various parts of your body and disturb a person's daily life routine. This condition is grouped with other behaviors where people repeatedly do things to their bodies.

What is Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania Symptoms

Behavioral Symptoms

• Pulling out hair repeatedly, intentionally or unintentionally, mainly from the scalp, eyebrows, or eyelashes.
• Feeling tense before pulling out hair or trying to stop but unable to resist the urge.
• Feeling relieved or satisfied after pulling out hair.
• Noticing bald patches, shorter hair, or missing eyebrows or eyelashes.
• Pulling out hair in specific patterns or ways.
• Some may bite, chew, or eat the pulled-out hair.
• Struggling to stop pulling out hair despite repeated attempts.
• Experiencing distress at work, school, or in social situations due to hair pulling.

Emotional Time Symptoms:

• Negative emotions: Pulling out hair might be a way to cope with feelings like stress, anxiety, boredom, or frustration.
• Positive emotions: Some people find hair-pulling satisfying, which relieves them, so they keep doing it.

Trichotillomania   Causes

• Family history : If someone in your family has trichotillomania, you might be more likely to have it, too.
• Health conditions : Unwell hair or skin might lead you to focus on pulling your hair or picking at your scalp.
• Age : Trichotillomania usually starts early, typically between ages 10 and 13. It can continue throughout life, although it's rare in babies.
• Mental health : Trichotillomania may occur due to other mental disorders like depression, anxiety, or OCD.
• Stress : High levels of stress can trigger trichotillomania in some people.
• Environment : Factors like boredom, isolation, and privacy may increase the chances of hair-pulling

Trichotillomania Diagnosis

• Physical exam : A doctor will examine your hair loss by looking at your scalp and hair.
• Lab tests : They might also do some tests to check if any medical reasons are causing your hair loss.
• Talk with a specialist : You'll talk to a mental health expert who knows about trichotillomania. They'll ask you about your hair-pulling habits and how they make you feel.

Trichotillomania Treatment

• Cognitive therapy: This therapy helps individuals challenge beliefs or thoughts related to hair pulling. By understanding and changing these thoughts, individuals can develop better deals to cope with this disorder.
• Self-awareness means paying attention to when and where you pull your hair and writing down how you feel when you do it. This helps you understand why you pull your hair and find ways to stop it.
• Relaxation Technique: Learning relaxation techniques helps individuals calm their nervous systems, reducing the likelihood of hair-pulling episodes. Techniques such as muscle relaxation must be applied.
• Deep breathing: Proper deep breathing techniques can promote relaxation and focus, helping individuals manage stress and anxiety associated with trichotillomania.
• Talk therapy is when you talk to someone about why you pull your hair. They help you understand why you do it and find ways to feel better.

Trichotillomania Medication: