
Trichotillomania Education Page for Bond Hair Bar
Causes of Trichotillomania
The exact cause of Trichotillomania is unknown. It involves both biological and behavioral factors. According to some expert doctors, certain factors increase a person’s risk of developing Trichotillomania, such as:
Genetic history
A person whose parent or sibling suffered from Trichotillomania is more likely to have the condition themselves.
Childhood trauma
A person who has experienced childhood trauma is more likely to develop Trichotillomania.
- Anxiety
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Obsessive-compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Depression or Autism
Types of Trichotillomania
- Automatic pulling: In this case, the individual may not realize that they’re pulling their hair until they see their couch or bed full of hair they pulled.
- Focused pulling: Focused hair pulling is intentional as it feels good to some people. Often, focused hair pullers engage in this kind of behavior in private.
Symptoms of Trichotillomania
- Repeatedly pulling out your hair from your scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or sometimes from other body areas.
- Anxiety when you try resisting pulling your hair or even before you feel the urge to do that.
- Noticeable hair loss, like shortened, thinned hair or bald areas on different areas of your body.
- Biting, chewing, or eating pulled-out hair.
- Preference for rituals that accompany hair pulling or patterns of hair pulling
- Playing with pulled-out hair
- Significant distress or problems in public related to pulling out your hair
- Repeatedly trying to pull your hair but with fewer chances of any success
- Itching or tingling in the area where you pull out your hair
- Thinning hair
- Bald spots
- Social anxiety
- Skin irritations
Diagnosis of Trichotillomania
If you have symptoms of Trichotillomania, your doctor will begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history following a physical examination. There are no tests such as X-rays or blood tests to diagnose this disorder. If Trichotillomania is suspected, the doctor might refer the person to a psychologist. They use specially designed tools for interviews and assessments to evaluate a person’s impulse control disorder. An evaluation to determine trichotillomania includes:
Examining how much hair loss you have
Asking questions regarding your hair pulling
Discussing your hair loss with you
Eliminating other possible that cause hair pulling
Identifying any physical or mental health problems associated with your hair pulling
Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) for the diagnostic criteria
Trichotillomania Treatments
- Habit reversal training: This is behavioral therapy, in which you learn how to recognize situations where you’re likely to pull your hair. People also use other therapies along with habit reversal training.
- Cognitive therapy: This therapy helps you identify and examine monstrous beliefs you may have about pulling hair.
- Acceptance and commitment therapy: This therapy helps you accept your hair-pulling urges. Therapies that help with other mental health disorders associated with Trichotillomania (such as depression or substance abuse) are essential for the treatment.
2) Medications
- Non-surgical hair replacements for patients with little to no hair: Non-surgical hair replacements are one of the most creative ways to turn something that makes you feel bad into something fantastic. Hair replacement is a Volumizer System used to interrupt the pattern of pulling as it creates a barrier between your hands and your common pulling areas, restoring your confidence by giving you a full head of hair. You can find the best hair replacement facility in the San Francisco Bay Area at Bond Hair Bar.
- Hair extensions: People living with this disorder often experience their hair becoming very thin. For most people, it can be hard to deal with this disorder. Hair extensions at Bond Hair Bar work for people suffering from Trichotillomania. However, even if you don’t suffer from Trichotillomania but are considering hair extensions for other reasons, you must contact Bond Hair Bar.