Everything You Need to Know About Trichotillomania

What is Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania (often shortened to ‘trich’) is a condition where people have a compulsion to pull out their hair. This can be hair from the top of the head, eyebrows, eyelashes, or any other part of the body. Sometimes, trich includes picking at skin too.

According to The Guardian, four in 100 people are affected by trich. Despite this, it’s a condition that’s not massively well-known, which is astounding considering how many people are affected by it. In this blog, we’ll be looking at the causes and symptoms of trich, as well as trichotillomania treatment, and help you to understand what to do if you think you or someone you know may have the condition.

Causes of Trichotillomania

There is no definitive cause of trich, but there are some notable trends that can be observed from previous research. There are suggestions that trich is a result of brain pathway abnormalities, which implies that there is tension in the body that is released through the feeling of compulsively pulling out hair or picking at the skin.

Others say that trich is a reflection of an existing condition such as OCD. This is backed up by evidence suggesting that it’s slightly more likely if it runs in your family. It is also plausible that trich manifests as a way of relieving stress and anxiety, which are becoming much more prevalent in today’s society.

‘There is no definitive cause of trich’

Symptoms of Trichotillomania

Since trich doesn’t have a straightforward diagnosing process, most of what is known about it comes from combining the symptoms. These symptoms begin to emerge quite young – often before the age of 17 – and affect women four times as often as men.

The most obvious symptom is the action of pulling out hair or picking at the skin, which offers a release to the urge, resulting in hair loss and impacting future hair growth. There can also be quite significant skin damage as a result, which can in extreme cases lead to infection. Some people find themselves having an impulse to play with the hair once it’s been pulled out, or sometimes the urge to eat it.

These are just the physical symptoms of trich, and there are mental aspects to the condition as well. Some people with trich have an increased compulsion at certain times of the day. This can force the day into a routine built around the disorder, meaning that it may heavily disrupt social interaction, work, or study. This can lead to or intensify anxiety, stress and depression.

Trichotillomania Treatment

Like the diagnosis, there is no definitive treatment for trich. Instead, the symptoms are treated as and when they become severely damaging. Some people, like Alex in a previous blog post about trich, have improved massively through cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

CBT isn’t necessarily perfect for everyone, and another kind of therapy or counselling may be more appropriate. Some people find that antidepressants help to balance their brain chemicals and reduce some of the compulsion. All of these options should be explored with a qualified health professional.