Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder)
Overview
Trichotillomania, also known as trich or TTM, is when someone cannot resist the urge to pull out their hair.
Symptoms
People with trich feel an intense urge to pull their hair out and they experience growing tension until they do. After pulling their hair out, they feel a sense of relief. A person may sometimes pull their hair out in response to a stressful situation, or it may be done without really thinking about it. Most people with trich pull out hair from their scalp, but some pull out hair from other areas, such as their: eyebrowseyelashesgenital areabeard or moustache Bald patches on the head may have an unusual shape and affect 1 side of the head more than the other. Trich may cause feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Those affected may try to keep their condition to themselves.
Causes
It's not entirely clear what causes trich. It could be: your way of dealing with stress or anxietya chemical imbalance in the brainchanges in hormone levels during pubertygenetic - more than one person in a family may have the condition For some people, hair pulling can be a habit that's hard to break. The more they pull their hair out, the more they want to keep doing it.
When to see a doctor
See your GP if you're pulling your hair out or if you notice that your child is. You should also see your GP if you or your child has a habit of eating hair. This can cause hairballs to form in the stomach, leading to serious illness. Your GP may examine areas where the hair is missing to check that nothing else is causing the hair to come out, such as a skin infection. If your GP thinks you have trich, you may be referred for a type of treatment calledcognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). If you are under 18, this may be offered through your localchildren and young people's mental health services.