Effects of Trichotillomania

Some of the common effects of trichotillomania are:

• Constant hair pulling
• Diffuse or bare patches on the scalp or other parts of the body due to hair loss
• Denial of hair pulling
• Uneven appearance on the head causing teasing and ridicule amongst children
• Bowel obstruction and indigestion due to the ingestion of hair strands via the mouth
• Presence of other self injury obsessive compulsive behaviours
• Psychological tension and relief upon hair pulling

These symptoms and effects can lessen and increase throughout life and there is a tendency for the symptoms to re-occur with intensity during stressful or traumatic periods. Life changing times such as puberty can also exacerbate the symptoms.

Some Trich sufferers live with these symptoms for many years rather than seek out treatment. The continual tolerance of the symptoms can increase the psychological distress and increase the intensity of hair pulling.

Types of Trichotillomania

The two main types of trichotillomania are generally classified into obsessive-compulsive disorder and habitual act. Obsessive compulsive disorders are triggered by ideas and thoughts that can cause so much distress and anxiety that leads to hair pulling.

Obsessive compulsion can also lead to paranoia exacerbating the hair pulling symptom. For example, a trichotillomania sufferer can believe they have 'bad hairs' resulting in the constant act of hair pulling causing hair loss or baldness that is highly visible.

The other type of trichotillomania is usually the continued or habitual act of hair pulling after the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder. To a lesser extent habit alone is seldomly the lone cause of trichotillomania and there is usually some underlying physiological or psychological cause.

Trichotillomania Causes

Trichotillomania is a combination of psychological disorder and habitual behaviour causing the hair loss most likely surfacing when people are bored or conducting non-physical activities such as reading or watching TV.

The act of pulling hair gives the sufferer:

• A good feeling
• A sense of achievement
• A sense of control
• A sense of tension increasing immediately prior to the act of pulling out the hair or when trying to resist the hair pulling behaviour

The true causes of trichotillomania is not definitively known and no one can precisely pinpoint why this disorder emerges. There are however a lot of possible reasons that have been postulated as to the cause of this disorder:

• genetic makeup
• traumatic psychological or physical experience as a baby or young child
• chemical imbalances in the brain
• medical conditions affecting the nervous system
• stressful environments

Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is a kind of baldness or hair loss caused by the constant pulling or twisting of the hair until it loses its strength and breaks off. This action is said to be compulsive and obsessive that it triggers a trichotillomaniac to pull his or her hair repetitively for the sense that it feels
good.

For these reasons trichotillomania is known as an obsessive compulsive psychological disorder. Much research has noted that trichotillomania does not only cover the act of pulling hair from the head but also covers pulling hair from someone’s beard, eyelashes, eyebrows and even pubic hairs.

Trichotillomania is highly common in women but men are also affected to a lesser degree. Trichotillomania can be cured over time with self control and the aid of psychological methods reducing anxiety and stress.