DO YOU LITERALLY PULL OUT YOUR OWN HAIR?
For two years, between the ages of 38 and 40 I had a large, unsightly, bald spot at the back of my scalp. I tried to cover it up but it was so large the baldness was virtually impossible to hide. I was labeled as a “freak” by a few people. After all, what sane person would pull out their own hair? However, research has shown that this disorder is more common than doctors once believed and is linked to problems such as depression, anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. In my case, this certainly made sense as I had just been through a traumatic divorce and was suffering from depression, anxiety and OCD. I have overcome the disorder and have not pulled out, or had any desire to pull out, my own hair for six years and now have a full head of healthy hair. Yet many people still suffer from this condition and this article addresses the problem.
What exactly is Trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania is classified as a type of impulse control disorder and research has shown that, although men suffer from the disorder, it is more common in women. It is believed to be genetic as compulsive behaviors like trichotillomania involve brain chemistry. Most people develop the condition during their teenage years. Yet children as young as one years of age have been diagnosed with the disorder.
Trichotillomania is a condition in which people have an uncontrollable urge to pull out their own hair. They pull the hair out at the root from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes or even the pubic area. They either pull out large handfuls of hair or one strand at a time and approximately half of the people suffering from this condition will inspect the strand of hair after pulling it out and then put the hair into their mouth and eat the root. Most trichotillomania sufferers are completely aware of what they are doing. However, some sufferers do it unconsciously. This condition can leave large, hideous bald patches on the scalp or eyebrows and cause great embarrassment to the sufferer as well as to their families.
I am sure it is hard for many people to understand why a person would pull out their own hair. Yet it is not just an ordinary habit which a person can easily stop as it is a compulsive disorder.
What causes trichotillomania?
Although doctors are not 100% sure as to what causes the condition, research has shown that the disorder may be caused by an imbalance in the brain’s chemistry. When something interferes with how the neurotransmitters in the brain work, it can cause compulsive problems such as nail biting, obsessive compulsive disorder etc. Neurotransmitters are a type of brain chemical and are a typical part of the brain’s communication centre.
The disorder is believed to be triggered by depression or stress.
Consequences of trichotillomania
Apart from the obvious effects of trichotillomania such as bald spots, people suffering from this disorder often feel shame, embarrassment, frustration, depression and helplessness about the condition. Their self-image plummets and they frequently feel too embarrassed to socialize.
The longer the condition goes untreated, the harder it is to stop. However, treatment options have helped many people reduce their hair pulling or, as in my case, stop completely.
Treatment of trichotillomania
Trichotillomania is often a chronic problem and is difficult to treat. Sufferers usually need medical help in the form of therapy before they are able to stop. Cognitive behavioral therapy has been found to be very successful in the treatment of trichotillomania. Medication has also proven to be beneficial and often a combination of both is used to help patients overcome their hair-pulling impulses.