Trichotillomania is a behavior where individuals pull or twist off their hair until it breaks or falls out. People with Trichotillomania will pull out their hair on the eyebrows, eyelashes, hair on top of their head and body hair.

Trichotillomania is also referred to as TTM or “Trich,” and there are some questions about how trichotillomania should be classified. It is currently considered to be an impulse control behavior, but it may appear to be habit, an addiction, a tic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. According to the Trichotillomania Learning Center, trichotillomania affects “people of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, and socio-economic backgrounds. In early childhood, it seems to occur as frequently in boys as girls. By adulthood, 80-90% of reported cases are women. It is estimated to affect 2-4% of the population, or two to ten million Americans.”

There are multiple reasons for picking and pulling hair. Some symptoms of Trichotillomania include:

• Patches of bald spots
• Hair texture looks uneven due to loss of hair
• Constantly touching, playing, tugging, pulling or twisting of hair
• Pulling hair while reading, writing, working on the computer, watching TV, or talking on the phone.
• Denying the habit of hair pulling and doing it alone
• A feeling of satisfaction and gratification after pulling hair

People who suffer from trichotillomania are often self-conscious about their appearance and resort to many different methods to cover up the balding spots. Individuals can cover up with different hairstyles, wigs, scarves, false eyelashes, glasses, hats, make up and any other available means.

Treatment for trichotillomania depends on the severity of the problem. Sometimes people can stop this compulsive behavior by being made aware of the problem but in other instances individuals may not be able to resist the urge to pull hair without the intervention of a treatment program. The most commonly used treatment for trichotillomania is called habit reversal training. There is hope and many people enjoy a pull-free life!

If you or a loved one is suffering from trichotillomania, contact Solace Counseling. We can create a customized treatment plan to suit the specific needs of the patient. We also offer family counseling. This can be a great tool to help loved ones understand what the person suffering from trichotillomania is going through.