What is trichotillomania?. This is a very rare impulse control disorder where the patient compulsively pulls out hair from their head. Pulling of hair is not only limited to the head but also on the eyebrows, eyelashes, and even the pubic area. Most of the patients suffering from trichotilomania tend to pluck out hair from the roots, but a certain percentage of the patients will pull out large chunks of hair at a time.
The condition mostly begins in late childhood to adolescence, and will most often coincide with the onset of puberty i.e. when changes in the body are taking place such as the growth of pubic hair. A certain percentage of kids will develop the problem of pulling out hair from their heads while at a younger age, but most of them will outgrow the condition. However, there are those who will carry on the habit right through adolescence to adulthood, and this is when they will be categorized as trichotillomania patients.
Research indicates that around 1-3% of people in the US suffer form trichotillomania, and 85% of that figure is made up of women. In other words, women are highly likely to suffer from the condition than men.
Causes of Trichotillomania. The main causes of this condition are still at large. One thing though that is known about the condition is that a very large percentage of people with the condition also experience other impulse control disorders, like nail-biting and skin-picking. In most cases, patients will suffer from obsessive-compulsive or depressive disorder as well. There is reason to believe that the condition could be genetic in some people, or could be the culmination of a chemical and hormonal imbalance in the body. In relation to hormonal imbalance in the body, this could be brought about by such conditions as stress and anxiety. High stress levels are believed to heighten and worsen the condition.
With that being said, it is to be mentioned that many people who suffer from the condition often feel ashamed or embarrassed with themselves and their behavior, which prompts them to hide their behavior from their peers and family. As a result, they end up with very low-self esteem. Needless to mention, compulsive plucking of hair can result to bald patches on the eyebrows or the scalp, which can further worsen their self-esteem issues and lead to depression and isolation.
In some situations, the condition is often accompanied by trichophagia, a condition characterized by the swallowing of the plucked-out hair. This can lead to a medical condition known as gastric bezoar, simply referred to as hairball. Note that this is a very serious medical condition that may lead to intestinal blockage. As such, one may need surgical intervention to have the condition sorted.
Treatment for Trichotillomania. Being a behavioral disorder, most of the time the treatment approach taken is normally psychological. The most effective form of treatment for trichotillomania is what is referred to as Habit Reversal Training (HRT). This is a form of treatment that focuses on increasing one’s self-awareness and why and when they are doing the actual hair pull-out. Doctors then focus on training patients on effective ways of redirecting their impulse. The treatment is also used to boost a patient’s self-esteem. In some situations, the use of antidepressants has also proven effective in treating the condition.