Trichotillomania can be simply described as “hair pulling disorder” where one gets the urge to remove the hair from the scalp or eyebrows on compulsion. Pulling of hair can leave bald spots on the scalp which may reduce the personality of the concerned person. People affected with this disorder will do anything to conceal the hair-loss. The range of disorder can be mild to very severe which can cause discomfort and stress for the concerned person. The reaction of pulling out hair is irresistible and can be overwhelming. This disorder can be treated with psychotherapy and medications.
Symptoms :
The affected person will repeatedly pull his hair from the scalp or eyebrows or other parts of his body. It would cause increased tension for the person if the pulling action is stopped. He or she will be at comfort only after certain hair is pulled out. A sense of pleasure/relief will be achieved after pulling.
The concerned person will have thin hair or short hair on the scalp and other areas and for some the eyebrows would be totally missing. They will also bite/chew or eat the pulled out hair. Some people will retain the hair and engage in playing with it. Most of them will also constantly bite their nails and chew their lips resulting in bleeding. This action of “pulling hair” will be done in privacy and not in public.
For some people the action of pulling hair can be focused (pulling out right hair from exact place) or it can be automatic (without their realization) which can be involuntary. Trichotillomania is a chronic disorder and should be treated failing which the symptoms can become severe. And most of them will hide their problem and wear wigs or hats to cover the baldness.