Trichotillomania
A disorder that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out body hair.
The urges involve pulling out hair from the scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body.
Symptoms include compulsive hair pulling and hair loss, such as bald patches on the scalp. Social and work functioning may be affected.
Treatment options include counseling and medications, such as antidepressants.
Cluster Number:
Wiki Number: PW220
Diagnosis: Trichotillomania
US Patients: 0.6% to 4%
World Patients:
Sex Ratio: B;G10; M;F3
Age Onset: childhood or 9-13 and then continues into adulthood if there are underlying psychiatric causes
Brain Area: basal ganglia develop a habit and the frontal lobes don’t stop them; extra gray matter (interpretation)
Symptoms: Compulsive hair-pulling from scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, face, arms and legs – and rarely, elsewhere,may also eat the hair
Progression: Can result in low self-esteem and fear of socializing
Causes: hereditary, pulls triggered by anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder
Medications: clomipramine may help; naltrexone and fluoxetine, also ; some medications increase hair-pulling
Therapies: CBT- habit-reversal training, biofeedback, hypnosis; electronic hand-tracking equipment may help, support groups
Youtube Video:
Overcoming Trichotillomania: The Power of Awareness
Amazon or Library Book: The Hair Pulling “Habit” and You
Click the book to link or order from Amazon.
Support Group: bfrb.org; 831-0457-1004
(Body Focused Repetitive Disorders)
4 CURRENT ARTICLES
FROM PUBMED
The world-wide medical research
reports chosen for each diagnosis
Clicking each title opens the
PubMed article’s summary-abstract.
- Community Empowerment and Mentality as a Treatment in Treatment-Resistant Trichotillomania: A Case Reportby Kimberly A Kluglein on October 28, 2024
Trichotillomania, a psycho-dermatologic disorder defined by self-inflicted often noticeable hair loss through hair-pulling, is difficult to manage and treat. Its etiology is multifactorial and frequently is complicated by comorbid conditions like anxiety and depression. Evidence-based treatment is limited but options involve a combination of pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), habit reversal training (HRT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Many individuals still...
- Quo vadis DSM-6? An expert survey on the classification, diagnosis, and differential diagnosis of body-focused repetitive behaviorsby Steffen Moritz on October 19, 2024
BACKGROUND: Many conditions we now call body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) have been subject to research for several decades, most notably trichotillomania and skin picking. However, the American Psychiatric Association did not combine these conditions into a single category, body-focused repetitive behavior disorders (BFRBDs), until the fifth edition of the DSM (2013). Several aspects of the disorder remain uncertain and controversial. For example, ongoing debate surrounds which specific...
- Psychiatric Comorbidities in Pediatric Trichotillomania: A Multicenter Cohort Studyby Margaux Games on October 15, 2024
CONCLUSIONS: Pediatric TTM patients have higher psychiatric comorbidity risks, necessitating timely intervention and comprehensive management. Dermatologists can facilitate access to behavioral and pharmacological care, enhancing patient outcomes.
- Ethical considerations in treating patients with trichotillomania who decline behavioral therapyby Aarushi K Parikh on October 11, 2024
No abstract