Trichotillomania – disease diagnosis, psychiatric treatment, disease in children

Hair is an important element of appearance for many of us. We spend a lot of time on them every day: we style them, check for signs of aging, run our fingers through irritation or under stress. Colloquially, we talk about tearing your hair out of your head when something disturbs you very strongly. For some, however, it is not a metaphor but a real mental disorder. Behind the difficult name of trichotillomania there is a compulsive, pathological hair-pulling. Most often those located on the head, sometimes eyebrows, eyelashes or hairs from other parts of the body.

Pulling them out brings the patient short-term relief and a sense of satisfaction. With time, significant hair loss occurs. The gaps and thinning out over time become the object of ridicule (real or imagined by the sick person), which results in further tension, stress and a sense of alienation. Sometimes the sick person tries to stop him from pulling his hair out, other times he falls into a kind of trance and it is impossible to interrupt this activity.

Trichotillomania – disease recognition

First, there is a significant and irregular loss of hair, but it does not indicate a lack of hygiene or skin problems. It is difficult to confuse trichotillomania with ordinary baldness, as there are only single tufts of hair left on the head with no order or composition.

1. It is worth paying attention to the patient’s tension and the feeling of relief when their hair is pulled out. It is not about simple brushing, which can be a relief, but about a pathological urge to pull out the hair.
2. As baldness continues to progress, hair-pulling will cease to be a controlled activity: it no longer brings relief or pleasure, exacerbating the problem by withdrawing from people and society.
3. Not all patients experience any positive feelings after pulling out their hair. In this case, attention should be paid to whether the person is aware of the fact that he is pulling his hair out in handfuls, as well as any accompanying symptoms of tension.
4. The sick person feels inconvenience or even suffering on the basis of social, social or professional background. Tries to limit contacts and interactions with others.
5. In rare cases, the disease is also accompanied by a need to eat your hair, known as trichophagia. It may also happen that it will not be the patient’s hair, but someone else’s, e.g. animal or artificial hair – dolls or those from the carpet.

Treatment of trichotillomania – a psychiatrist?

Actions aimed at improving the comfort of life and health of the patient are carried out in two ways. First of all, a psychiatric consultation is required, which will allow for the appropriate selection of drugs. The causes of the onset of trichotillomania are twofold: related to the improper functioning of the brain and described as social. It is impossible to indicate the superiority of one over the other, so comprehensive therapy is needed. Drugs are designed to inhibit serotonin reuptake (similar to depression). This substance is responsible for the regulation of sleep, appetite, pressure and sex drive. Its low concentration in the brain causes low mood and aggressive behavior, but also general fatigue and pain sensitivity. Inhibition of reuptake allows it to stay longer, making it stay longer in our body.

In turn, therapy using behavioral methods allows you to get rid of undesirable behaviors, especially in children, who very often suffer from trichotillomania. Sometimes it is enough for the patient to visit a specialist who finds the disease, which may lead to a change in habits – especially in the case of young children.

Trichotillomania – especially popular in children

Trichotillomania can occur at any time in life, in children, adolescents and adults. According to statistical data, however, people between 8 and 14 years of age are most often ill. The disease affects women to a large extent, as they suffer from it about 5-10 times more often. It very often turns out that patients do not know anything about their disease. It is estimated that over 50% of people do not undertake any treatment, both pharmacological and psychological consultation. What many do not know is that what appears to be an addiction or habit can be a serious disorder that, if left untreated, has the potential to lead to more serious problems in the future. Trichotillomania seems to be an introduction to depression and neurotic behavior. However, due to the fact that this disorder primarily affects the psyche, it is often underestimated. However, even in the case of a disease that does not directly threaten, it is worth going to a consultation with a specialist: a psychologist, psychiatrist or dermatologist.