Trichotillomania Triggered by Vitamin D Deficiency and Resolving Dramatically With Vitamin D Therapy.
Trichotillomania can be related to emotions, including: Negative feelings. Pulling out hair may be a way of dealing with negative or uncomfortable feelings, such as stress, anxiety, tension, boredom, loneliness, extreme tiredness or frustration. Positive feelings.
In addition to reducing the urge to pull, it is believed vitamin D supplementation significantly improved hair regrowth, which is often not seen after treatment with antidepressants or other medications alone.
Dietary Strategies
It has been reported that scalp and body pullers are food sensitive and initial relief can be found by avoiding sugar and caffeine. Further research has found that many hair and body products also contain chemicals that act in a similar way to those within the “bad' foods.
Trichotillomania is a mental health condition where you compulsively pull out your own hair. It often has severe negative effects on your mental health and well-being when it happens in your adolescent, teen and adult years. However, this condition is treatable.
Recently, a strong relationship of family chaos during childhood and trichotillomania has also been reported, in which 86% of women with trichotillomania reported a history of violence—for example, sexual assault or rape—concurrent with the onset of trichotillomania.
The cause of trichotillomania is not clearly understood but is believed to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Imbalances in the natural brain chemicals called neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine may also contribute to this impulse control disorder.
Don't say, “You need to learn to relax, and maybe the pulling will stop automatically.” Usually, this isn't true. My clients with trich have hairpulling on their mind constantly (which can be mentally exhausting) and have uncontrollable urges to pull.
N-Acetylcysteine (NAC): NAC is an amino acid that has shown promise in reducing compulsive behaviors, including skin picking, in some studies. It may work by increasing levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate, which plays a role in impulse control.
For example, your health care provider may recommend an antidepressant, such as clomipramine (Anafranil). Research suggests that N-acetylcysteine (as-uh-tul-SIS-tee-een), an amino acid that affects mood, also may help. Another option that research suggests may have benefit is olanzapine (Zyprexa).
Although the primary cause of premature hair graying (PHG) is considered to be genetic, certain environmental factors also play a role. Trace element deficiencies such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, and calcium may also be associated with PHG.
A consistent routine can provide a sense of control and promote healthy regrowth. A hair care routine should include gentle scalp massages to stimulate blood flow and promote hair growth. Using essential oils such as lavender or rosemary during these massages can further support hair regrowth.
Therapy can help people overcome trichotillomania. The most widely used type of therapy is called habit-reversal training (HRT). It's a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In this therapy, people meet with a therapist to learn skills to help them reverse the hair pulling habit.
Dermatology Times previously reported research by Grant et al has shown that the glutamate modulatormemantine (Namenda), a drug used to treat Alzheimer's disease, is associated with significant improvements in symptoms of adults with trichotillomania or excoriation disorder (skin-picking or dermatillomania).
“Don't Look Up” actor Leonardo DiCaprio is believed to have trichotillomania due to openly sharing on multiple accounts of suffering from OCD. Leo has spoken about living with OCD throughout his childhood and adult life.
Trichotillomania is part of OCD and is thought to be largely related to anxiety disorders. There have been twin studies that have demonstrated genetic anomalies associated with trichotillomania and other OCD-related disorders.
Individuals may be misdiagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, or even drug addiction.
In young children, treat trichotillomania as a short-term habit disorder by cutting the hair very short (like a crew cut in boys) and applying Vaseline to the hair. “They stop their habit right away because it's so slippery they can't pull,” Dr. Kwong said.
Trichotillomania Triggered by Vitamin D Deficiency and Resolving Dramatically With Vitamin D Therapy.
Adults with trichotillomania frequently report that their pulling worsens during periods of heightened anxiety [9]. Alternatively, hair pulling for many adults leads to avoidance of social activities and results in anxiety during intimate situations [6], [10], [11].
There are several lines of evidence to suggest that hormonal factors (such as adrenocorticotropic hormone, estrogen, and progesterone) may be involved in the manifestation of trichotillomania, in addition to this being implied by its female preponderance and typically pubertal onset.
Trichotillomania risk factors can vary. Often, the condition is more common for those withobsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)or otheranxiety-based disorders. While there is no specific cause for trichotillomania, increases in stress can worsen symptoms and cause more flare-ups in the behavior.
In most cases, hair that is pulled from the scalp will grow back. However, repeated pulling or excessive pulling can cause scarring and permanent hair loss.
Other imaging studies of trichotillomania reported reduced gray matter in the left inferior frontal gyrus23 and reduced cerebellar volumes. More recently, whole-brain analysis identified increased gray matter densities in the left caudate/putamen, bilateral cingulate, and right frontal cortices.