What is trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania (TTM or “trich”) is a disorder that causes people to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or any other parts of the body, resulting in noticeable bald patches. TTM can range from mild to severe. There is a very strong compulsion to pull out hair that sufferers try hard to control. In addition, they go to great lengths to hide bald spots.
Trich can start at any age, but usually begins around 11 to 13 years of age. The actual behavior may be triggered by stress or by nothing at all. Depression is very common in people with trichotillomania, but hair pulling alone is not evidence of emotional disturbance or other mental health problems.
Recent research conceptualizes TTM as a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) rather than an addiction, tic disorder, self-mutilating disorder or an obsessive, compulsive disorder. Skin picking and nail biting are other types of BFRB.
People of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities and socio-economic backgrounds have TTM. Three to nine million Americans are affected by this BFRB (1 - 3% of the population).
The cause of this disorder is unknown. It may be a neuro-biological disorder that may be affected by your genetics. It may develop due to a combination of genetic, emotional, and environmental factors.
Therapy for trich is varied and research is still needed to determine the best single treatment. The following list encompasses the types of treatment that seem to be the most promising:
More information about Trichotillomania can be found at the Trichotillomania Learning Center (www.trich.org), including information about a Dallas support group that meets monthly!
If I can help you with your treatment of TTM, please don’t hesitate to call on me (214) 924-8195. You can get help for this problem in a confidential, caring environment. I look forward to hearing from you!
Information for this article came from the Trichotillomania Learning Center!
