Can hair cause stomach problems?

Author: Jadyn Zulauf Jr.  |  Last update: Saturday, August 30, 2025

A trichobezoar is a bezoar made up of hair and is a rare cause of bowel obstruction of the proximal gastrointestinal tract. They are seen mostly in young women with trichotillomania and trichotillophagia and symptoms include epigastric pain, nausea, loss of appetite and bowel or gastric outlet obstruction.

What does hair do to your stomach?

Typically, ingested hair remains asymptomatic and is not harmful. However, if trichophagia is severe or chronic, a large mass of undigested hair can accumulate in the stomach, resulting in a trichobezoar. This can be symptomatic, including nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain.

What happens if hair is stuck in your stomach?

Complications of Rapunzel Syndrome

As the hair ball grows in your belly, with time it can cause you to have other problems within your body, such as: Obstructive jaundice. Physical blockage in your belly or small intestine. Erosion of the mucus lining in your stomach and small intestine.

How do I know if I have a hairball in my stomach?

These patients present with nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, early satiety, anorexia, and weight loss. Nonetheless, they usually are diagnosed as incidental finding.

How do you remove hair from your digestive system?

  1. Laser hair removal. One of the most efficient and advanced methods for permanently removing stomach hair is laser hair removal. ...
  2. Waxing. Unwanted body hair can be removed effectively by waxing. ...
  3. Shaving. ...
  4. Sugaring. ...
  5. Depilatory creams. ...
  6. Tweezing. ...
  7. Electrolysis.

Is Your Hair Loss Coming from Your Gut? – Dr. Berg on Biotin & Hair Loss Causes

What organ is connected to the hair?

Hair structure

The hair root is in the skin and extends down to the deeper layers of the skin. It is surrounded by the hair follicle (a sheath of skin and connective tissue), which is also connected to a sebaceous gland. Each hair follicle is attached to a tiny muscle (arrector pili) that can make the hair stand up.

What is Rapunzel syndrome?

The Rapunzel syndrome is an unusual form of trichobezoar found in patients with a history of psychiatric disorders, trichotillomania (habit of hair pulling) and trichophagia (morbid habit of chewing the hair), consequently developing gastric bezoars. The principal symptoms are vomiting and epigastric pain.

What is a bezoar in the stomach?

A bezoar is a ball of swallowed foreign material most often composed of hair or fiber. It collects in the stomach and fails to pass through the intestines.

What are the symptoms of a hairball in the human body?

After the hair ball has reached sufficient proportions to cause gastric irritation, there may be nausea, loss of appetite, dyspepsia, headaches, epigastric pain, and mild anemic symptoms. With increase in size, pain becomes more severe, the patient is able to eat less, and there may be blood in the stools.

How do I get rid of hair on my stomach?

A deep dive into different methods of stomach hair removal
  1. Shaving. Shaving is a very common method of hair removal. ...
  2. Waxing. For those who want a longer-lasting solution to their stomach hair, waxing could be an effective option. ...
  3. Depilatory creams. ...
  4. Laser hair removal. ...
  5. Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)

What are the symptoms of trichophagia?

Trichophagia may present with symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, recurrent diarrhoea or constipation, and weight loss due to formation of a trichobezoar. A diagnosis of trichotillomania may have already been made, or signs of hair pulling noted on examination.

What happens if I ate a piece of hair in my food?

So, if you ever happen to spot a strand of hair in your food, by all means pick it up and throw it away, and continue eating your food. And if you swallow a strand by mistake, don't worry, for you are most likely to continue living exactly the way you were before swallowing it.

What happens if hair goes inside your stomach?

Trichobezoars are masses of hair that accumulate in the gastrointestinal tract, mainly in the stomach. Hair is indigestible; thus, it can accumulate to form a mass in the digestive system over time. The mass results in several symptoms, including; Abdominal pain.

What enzymes break down hair?

Keratinases are proteolytic enzymes capable of catalysing the hydrolysis of highly stable keratin proteins that compose hair and feathers, and other keratinous materials. Common proteases like pepsin and papain are not capable of degrading keratin.

Can a human get a hairball?

Although uncommon in humans, some hairballs have been reported. These hairballs occur when hair strands collect in the stomach and are unable to be ejected due to not enough friction with the surface of the gastric mucosa. Hairballs are often seen in young girls as a result of trichophagia, trichotillomania, and pica.

What is dumping syndrome guts?

Dumping syndrome describes a range of symptoms that occur when food is emptied too quickly from the stomach into the small intestine, filling it with undigested food that is not adequately prepared to allow efficient absorption.

What is a sarcoma in the stomach?

Sarcomas that begin in the abdomen may not cause signs or symptoms until they get very big. As the sarcoma grows and presses on nearby organs, nerves, muscles, or blood vessels, signs and symptoms may include: Pain. Trouble breathing.

What does a bezoar feel like?

Most bezoars do not completely block the digestive tract and thus cause no symptoms. However, people may feel very full after eating a normal-sized meal and may have nausea, vomiting, and pain. People may also lose their appetite and lose weight.

What is trichorhizophagia?

Trichotillomania is a disorder characterized by chronic hair pulling that often results in alopecia. Eating the part of hair pulled out is a common practice and trichorhizophagia is a new term to denote the habit of eating the root of hairs pulled out, associated with trichotillomania.

What is phytobezoar in the stomach?

A phytobezoar is a type of bezoar, or trapped mass in the gastrointestinal system, that consists of components of indigestible plant material, such as fibres, skins and seeds.

At what age does pubic hair turn white?

In some individuals, the change in color of pubic hair may occur around the age of fifty, but it can happen earlier or later, depending on individual genetic predispositions and lifestyle factors.

What does thick hair say about your health?

A thick head of hair is often a sign of a healthy scalp. So, when your locks become noticeably sparse, it could be a tell-tale sign of hypothyroidism. This glandular condition affects nearly five out of 100 Americans ages 12 and older and can be treated with thyroid medications.

What is the white stuff on the end of my hair when I pull it out?

What is the White Bulb at End of Hair? The white bulb at the end of your hair is essentially a bundle of protein, known as keratin. The role of the white bulb is to help the hair follicle root to the scalp, which then allows the hair to grow until it is shed.

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