Have you ever felt like pulling out your hair? Most of us have experienced the emotion behind that saying. For those who suffer from trichotillomania, though, the urge to pull out hair isn’t just a funny quip. It’s a very real struggle that affects many aspects of their lives. Suffering from this disorder—or knowing someone who does—can be challenging. Understanding what trich is and how it’s treated are the initial steps to successfully managing it.
Trichotillomania is a psychiatric illness also known as hair pulling disorder (HPD). People who have trich struggle with uncontrollable urges to pull out their hair. Instead of going away, the urges get stronger until they are impossible to resist. Most people diagnosed with trich are upset by the behavior and wish they could stop.
Sufferers tend to pull hair from their scalps but may also target eyebrows, eyelashes, beards, mustaches, and pubic areas. The exact cause of trich is unknown, but researchers suspect it stems from a variety of genetic and environmental factors.
To be diagnosed with trichotillomania, an individual must meet five criteria set by the American Psychological Association.
They must regularly remove hair from parts of their body for noncosmetic reasons. Someone who overplucks their eyebrows to shape them isn’t suffering from trich.
They must have tried to stop pulling their hair out. There’s a strong desire to change the behavior, but they don’t feel capable of overcoming it.
Hair pulling has caused distress or functional impairment. Many people who suffer from trich become upset about the habit and their appearance. Others don’t experience distress, but struggle in social, work, or school settings.
The hair pulling cannot be caused by a separate medical condition. People who suffer from disorders such as eczema or psoriasis may pull hair to alleviate itching, but trich isn’t the underlying cause in those cases.
The behavior isn’t caused by another mental disorder such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Trich is a type of body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB). BFRBs are often described as bodily grooming habits that become unwanted obsessions. Like most of these behaviors, trich tends to first appear in the adolescent and teen years.
Treatment Options for Trichotillomania
While there’s no cure for trich, many individuals benefit from therapy-based treatment and supplemental medications, including antidepressants. A cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) technique called habit reversal therapy (HRT) is one of the most popular treatment courses, but there are other CBT-based options too.
If you or a loved one might be struggling with trich, know that you aren’t alone. Custom Hair can help. Reach out so we can talk about your concerns and explain treatment options. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
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