There are many different reasons why men and women suffer from loss of hair. Some of these causes, however, are brought upon by the person themselves. This is known as trichotillomania. If you or a loved one often pulls their own hair from their scalp, this should be a cause for concern.
Trichotillomania is known as a mental condition, in which an individual develops a hard-breaking habit of pulling on our out one’s own hair. This is considered an OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). While trichotillomania commonly involves the person pulling on hair from the scalp, it can also involve the pulling and tearing of body and facial hair.
Effects of Untreated Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania could potentially lead to complications in a person’s physical, emotional, and social wellbeing. Firstly, pull out hair can lead to permanent hair loss to the affected area(s). If hair does manage to grow back, it will look unhealthier and frailer than the rest of that person’s hair. While hair-pulling is used as a mechanism to relieve a person of stress, it might also lead to even more anxiety as well as shame and embarrassment. Through other variations of trichotillomania further complications can arise. For instance, an individual may be inclined to eat the hair that they uproot from their scalp or body. If this happens, a form of “hairball” may build up in his or her digestive tract. In the worse-case scenario, this may lead to one’s death from asphyxiation.
Who Suffers from Trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania can affect many kinds of people. Hair-pulling in children can develop at a pre-teen age, and this could carry over into adulthood. If a person develops the disorder as an adult, they may get it from another more common condition like OCD, depression, or nervousness. Trichotillomania is also a disorder that can be passed down through family, as in a person who is close to another family member pulls their hair as well. What Can Treat Trichotillomania?
In order to stop trichotillomania, there are one of multiple things that individuals can do. There are a number of therapies, procedures, and programs that one can enroll in to help kick this habit. The most common type of therapy is called “habit reversal training”, where the patient learns to do another action to replace the pulling of their own hair in order to relieve stress. This action could be from chewing gum to clenching a stress ball.
If you are someone who suffers from trichotillomania, call us at +1 (585) 272 7320 so you can get on a program to receive hair restoration. At New-U, you can restore your damaged and lost hair to full volume so you can continue to gain more confidence and enjoy life. Contact us to schedule a free consultation online.
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