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How the Holidays Can Make You Lose Your Hair: The Lowdown on Trichotillomania

trichotillomaniaIf you ever heard the expression: “Don’t lose your hair,” when someone is stressed out, you might have thought they were exaggerating. But it turns out, there are people who lose their hair through stress. With the holidays being an anxious time for people alongside a global pandemic these are anxious times. Here’s the lowdown on trichotillomania.

What is Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania, also known as trich, is a mental health disorder where someone has a compulsive desire to pull out their hair. Typically, the person feels an urge to pull their hair out, which increases with tension. When the hair is out they get a lot of relief. Hair is not just pulled out of the scalp. Some people go for hair in other places such as eyebrows. Trichotillomania is more common in teenagers and young people and is seen more frequently in girls.

Holidays and Stress

Christmas and the holidays are high on the list of common stressors such as bereavement and job loss. People get anxious around this time for financial reasons and also the number of things to do, potential clashes with family members and more. This year there are further stressors including job loss and not being able to see friends and family due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. There are lots of stressors around to trigger an episode of trichotillomania.

Symptoms of Trichotillomania

Typically, a person with trichotillomania gets increasingly anxious and stressed until they pull their hair out. You may notice someone getting increasingly agitated. Patches of missing hair may be visible. Usually the bald patches are on one side of the head or body part and look uneven.

How to Help Someone with Trichotillomania

If you know someone has trichotillomania, understanding what triggers their anxiety is vital. You can work with them to reduce the impact of any trigger and get them to use a self-management plan. If they are particularly agitated, talking to a psychologist will help them manage their behavior and develop ways of coping with the condition.

Trichotillomania is a distressing condition for people. With support to manage their condition, holidays and other stressful events are less of an issue for them. At Custom Hair Tampa Bay, we offer the finest quality in non-surgical hair replacement solutions. To schedule a free consultation click here.

 

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