Trichotillomania is often referred to as “the hair pulling disorder,” that involves chronic, irresistible urges to pull hair. It is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) that can involve pulling out hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, and even other areas of the body. Many individuals diagnosed with trichotillomania often present other body-focused repetitive behaviors, such as dermatillomania (skin picking), nail biting, and lip chewing.
Mild cases of Trichotillomania hair loss can remain unnoticed, but with more advanced cases, hair loss can become much more obvious and difficult to conceal. Those individuals with more progressive hair loss due to Trichotillomania, can eventually create a scenario of a lack of social and occupational function. It is of crucial importance that immediate steps be taken, to help manage this challenging disorder.
What Are the Symptoms?
- Hair pulling events often occur in private
- Noticeable hair loss
- Feeling a sense of relief after hair pulling
- A high sensation of tension before the hair pulling, or when trying to resist pulling
- Playing with pulled hair, or rubbing it across the face or skin
- Biting, chewing, or eating pulled hair
- Repeated attempts to minimize or stop hair pulling
- Hair pulling causes distress or interrupts normal daily functioning
Is Trichotillomania the Same for Everyone?
There are actually two different variations of trichotillomania, though some individuals do engage in both behaviors.
Automatic trichotillomania can occur when an individual is engaging in leisurely activities such as reading, watching T.V., or even chatting on the phone. This type of pulling takes place during passive periods without the person even realizing it is happening. It is a subconscious pulling that is outside of one’s own awareness. Behavioral therapy for automatic trichotillomania can be most challenging because therapeutic strategies either rely on the individual’s ability to distract themselves, or choose an alternate behavior ahead of time. With automatic trichotillomania, pulling can happen for several minutes before the person even realizes what they are doing. Developing a direct understanding of one’s own pulling patterns can often lead to the transformation of automatic pulling, into focused pulling.
Focused trichotillomania is usually associated with stress and is characterized by an overt act of the urge to pull. The “focused” person is completely aware of what they are doing and craves the sensation of the pulling as a way to relieve tension or highly emotional situations. This form of trichotillomania is a vital, initial step towards pulling management. Wanting to actually become more aware of such feelings, may seem odd to most, but identifying pulling signs ahead of time allow you the ability to impose effective, preventative strategies beforehand.
Elite Hair Loss Solutions Cares!
Learning to manage trichotillomania symptoms and pulling triggers can vary greatly for each person, and we often recommend individuals to join trichotillomania support groups. As your personal hair loss informational resource, we take great pride in offering you valuable related support. Your friends here at Elite Hair Loss Solutions are not medical doctors, and always encourage each Guest to seek a medical diagnosis regarding their hair loss from a licensed physician.
Our professional expertise relates directly not just with knowledge of Trichology and hair loss causes, but also with restoring hair loss due to trichotillomania and other factors. Our ultimate goal is to renew your image and self-confidence, and to remove any potential embarrassment or shame you may be experiencing as you attempt to gain control. We have successfully provided hair restorative services to many “trich” sufferers for more than two decades.
Elite Hair Loss Solutions offers more non-surgical hair loss solutions than anyone else in Sacramento, so you can be confident that you’ve found the right hair loss professionals to reach out to. Our experienced Elite Team members are knowledgeable, compassionate, and will provide you with the natural looking hair loss solution you seek. Contact us today for your private complimentary consultation appointment.
