TRICHOTILLMANIA

WHAT IS IT?

An impulse-control disorder of pulling hair-

which means that there is a failure to resist

temptation, an urge or impulse that may harm

oneself or others.

A form of OCD- obsessive compulsive disorder.

Honestly , horrid.

DIAGNOSIS

Recurring pulling out of ones own hair that results in noticeable hair

loss.

Increasing sense of tension immediately before pulling out the hair or

attempting to resist the behavior.

Pleasure gratification or relief when successfully pulling out the hair.

If you have another mental disease, you will not be diagnosed with

trichotillomania.

Causes distress and impairment in social, occupational, and other life

skills.

WHO DOES IT AFFECT?

1-3% of today’s society.

Affects more girls than guys.

About 80-90% reported cases are women.

All ages.

All socio economic backgrounds and races.

Most common in Caucasian people.

WHEN DOES IT START?

It can start in kids as young as one years old.

Compared to other habits such as nail biting or

thumb sucking.

In the same way that kids stop thumb sucking,

trichotillomania will eventually stop on its own.

Most common in the pre-adolescent stage 9-13

years of age.

WHERE DO YOU PULL FROM?

ANYWHERE on the body! If there is hair

noticeable and visible, a person with

trichotillomania will have the urge to pull.

Most common sites are eyebrows, eyelashes,

pubic region, and scalp.

WHY DO WE PULL?

Antecedents to pulling have been discovered across

multiple phenomenological domains including sensory

stimulation, emotions, and cognitions.

Emotions such as tiredness, boredom, anxious,

happiness, sadness, anger, and others depending on the

person.

We scan for the “right” hair.

Out of place, length and thickness.

HOW DO WE PULL HAIR?

We are alone or with people who know about it

when we pull the most.

Primary method of hair extraction is with the

fingertips.

Also can pull with tweezers, combs, or brushes.

Hair pulling is one at a time.

EYEBROWS

EYELASHES

SCALP

ANOTHER SCALP

RITUALS

Looking at the follicle after pulling.

Running the follicle through your teeth and

eating it.

This can cause trichobezaeors.

Not all people do this.

…

I can go on and on about this disease but it is

something that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

ANY QUESTIONS ?