What is Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania is also known as the hair-pulling habit and as a body focused repetitive condition (BFRB). Most health authorities consider it to be anxiety related. The hair pulling is recurrent and hard to resist and presents as an urge to pull out hair, sometimes leading to recognisable hair loss and distress.
We are here to help in any way we can, and advocate for education about trichotillomania across all platforms.
Types of trichotillomania
People with Trichotillomania (tric) pull out hair, most commonly from eyelashes, eyebrows or the scalp, but pulling may occur from beards, the pubic region and sometimes pets. Onset is often in childhood or adolescence and hair pulling may continue into adulthood.
How Do I Know If I Have Trichotillomania?
To be honest, if you think you have, you do have this condition, because only YOU know if you’re actually pulling your hair out. Having said that, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Disorders cites the following criteria for Trichotillomania diagnosis:
DSM-5 Criteria for Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)
- Recurrent pulling out of one’s hair, resulting in hair loss.
- Repeated attempts to decrease or stop hair pulling.
- The hair pulling causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.
- The hair pulling or hair loss is not attributable to another medical condition (e.g., a dermatological condition).
- The hair pulling is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder (e.g., attempts to improve a perceived defect or flaw in appearance in body dysmorphic disorder).
It can be hard to comprehend what Trichotillomania is; the social withdrawal and avoidance it often brings & how best to help.
Do I need help to stop hair pulling?
Not everyone with Tric will need help. Some people will have a mild form that they find tolerable while others face a more severe strain and require support to stop pulling. If you, or someone you know, has Trichotillomania and answers yes to any of the following questions, do get in touch to see how we can help.
1. Is hair pulling negatively impacting your relationships?
2. Is hair pulling preventing you from doing things you would like to do, e.g. swimming, progressing at work, enjoying a social life?
3. Is the urge to hair pull so frequent that it impairs your concentration or ability to complete tasks?
4. Are urges to pull very strong or severely strong?
5. Do you find it difficult to stop pulling once you start: Losing time that you’d rather not?
6. Are you often unable to resist the urge to pull?
7. Is hair-pulling causing you distress or to feel negatively about yourself?
8. Has hair-pulling resulted in noticeable physical damage? e.g. bald spots or complete baldness, no eyelashes.
We are here for support and help, whenever you need it.