Understanding Trichotillomania: Symptoms, Treatments and Diagnosis

Trichotillomania, also known as the hair-pulling disorder, is considered to be a mental disorder that includes an irresistible urge to pull out hair from the eyebrows, scalp, and other areas of the body despite trying to stop.

One of the major causes of trichotillomania is related to certain mental conditions, such as depression and anxiety. On the other hand, it might also occur due to some other reason, which is often cyclical.

Over time, repeated pulling of hair can cause bald spots and emotional distress. In this article, we will discover the signs, symptoms, and treatment techniques of trichotillomania.

What Is Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania, or TTM, is a mental disorder in which people might feel the need to pull out their own hair. Thus, people suffering from trichotillomania are not limited to pulling hair from the scalp only but also from areas like eyelashes, eyebrows, and other parts of the body. Over time, it can cause thinning of hair and bald spots. The disorder usually develops during the adolescent age, but it is also known to appear in young children as well.  Once it appears, it continues for several years. This disorder affects females and males equally, but females are often affected during adulthood.

Risk Factor Of Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania can affect children and adults of all genders. Thus, it tends to occur more in women than men, with a ratio of 9 to 1. Some of the risk factors that are associated with Trichotillomania include:

• Being an adolescent.
• Being female.
• Suffering from mental health conditions such as OCD, anxiety, stress, or depression.
• Going through a stressful situation.

The doctors are also working to identify the alterations in brain functionality that could lead to trichotillomania. Certain changes might affect an individual’s ability to control impulsive behavior, such as pulling hair.

What Causes Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania is considered to be a mental health condition that can be related to other conduction, such as:

• Autism.
• OCD or Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
• Depression.
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
• Anxiety.

What Are The Symptoms Of Trichotillomania?

A person suffering from trichotillomania may experience the following behavioral changes and physical abnormalities. Symptoms of trichotillomania include:

• The feeling of relief after pulling hair out.
• Eating hair (Trichophagy).
• Pulling out hair repeatedly.
• Breaking off pieces of hair.
• Noticeable hair loss and bald patch due to pulling of hair.

Treatment

The treatment of Trichotillomania varies on the severity of the symptoms you face. However, a doctor or mental health professional will recommend the following:

Behavioral Therapy

As per a recent study, behavioral therapy caters to habit-reversal training (HRT), further assisting in controlling Trichotillomania. Similarly, this treatment also enables in:

• Practicing the newly learned skills in different situations.
• Finding alternative ways of remaining encouraged and motivated to stop hair pulling.
• Increased awareness about Trichotillomania triggers and symptoms.
• Reduces these situations and sensory factors.
• It helps to identify the sensory factor that leads to pulling.

Medication

The procedure of medication includes antipsychotics and antidepressants, which might have an effect on Trichotillomania:

• Clompramine.
• Olanzapine.
• Quetiapine.

Hence, clinical trials with these drugs have small sample sizes.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Trichotillomania is based on psychiatric examination by mental health providers such as a therapist or psychiatrist. However, a diagnosis of Trichotillomania includes:

• Hair pulls test as it assists in identifying how easily hair is pulled from the scalp.
• Physical examination of the abdomen.
• Scalp biopsy.
• Trichoscopy, or imaging of scalp and hair.
• Physical examination of hair loss location.

Since Trichotillomania is rare, it is often misunderstood, and people receive diagnoses for anxiety, OCD, substance use disorder, or other related issues.

Living With Trichotillomania

People who are suffering from trichotillomania often have lower self-esteem and quality of life. Along with that comes anxiety, higher depression, guilt, and shame than the people who are not suffering from this disorder.

Thus, the stigma that is aligned with the disorder might restrict people from seeking necessary treatment procedures.

Even the introduction of new technologies, such as motion sensor bracelets and mobile-based applications, helps you understand more about the disorder. Similarly, researchers continue to analyze and evaluate medication that might reduce the symptoms of trichotillomania.

If you think you are suffering from trichotillomania, you should go for a check-up and get diagnosed. With specialized treatment and behavioral therapy, it will help you improve your quality of life.