What do you call it when you pull your own hair out?

Author: Bertram Kassulke II  |  Last update: Wednesday, July 23, 2025

Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) Trichotillomania, also known as trich or TTM, is when someone cannot resist the urge to pull out their hair. They may pull out the hair on their head or in other places, such as their eyebrows or eyelashes. Trich usually starts between the ages of 10 and 13 years old.

What's it called when you pull your hair out?

Trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh), also called hair-pulling disorder, is a mental health condition. It involves frequent, repeated and irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body.

Can hair regrow after trichotillomania?

Yes it will grow back. Dont be alarmed if it takes a bit, hair takes a little longer to grow back when forcibly pulled out.

Is trichotillomania OCD or ADHD?

Trichotillomania (often abbreviated as TTM) is a mental health disorder where a person compulsively pulls out or breaks their own hair. This condition falls under the classification of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

What is a good treatment for trichotillomania?

Habit reversal training.

This behavior therapy is the main treatment for trichotillomania. You learn how to recognize situations where you're likely to pull out your hair and how to substitute other behaviors instead. For example, you might clench your fists to help stop the urge.

Anxiety that Causes Hair Pulling: Trichotillomania

What triggers trichotillomania?

Causes of trichotillomania

your way of dealing with stress or anxiety. a chemical imbalance in the brain. changes in hormone levels during puberty. genetic - more than one person in a family may have the condition.

What is the first line of medication for trichotillomania?

Results. SSRIs and clomipramine are considered first-line in TTM. In addition, family members of TTM patients are often affected by obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Other drugs used in the treatment of TTM are lamotrigine, olanzapine, N-Acetylcysteine, inositol, and naltrexone.

What not to say to someone with trichotillomania?

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.

What can be mistaken for trichotillomania?

Individuals may be misdiagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, or even drug addiction.

Why do I pull my hair out and eat the follicle?

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 oil is good for hair pulling?

Oils commonly used in oil pulling, such as jojoba oil, coconut oil, and argan oil, are rich in vitamins, nutrients, and anti-inflammatory compounds that can help to nourish, hydrate, and protect your scalp.

What is the new medication for trichotillomania?

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).

Does trichotillomania ever stop?

24.9% of the entire sample of people with lifetime trichotillomania reported that they no longer had symptoms of trichotillomania and had never received therapy or medication treatment for it (i.e. they experienced natural recovery).

What kind of trauma causes trichotillomania?

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.

What vitamins are good for trichotillomania?

Furthermore, evidence to date has suggested that dietary changes (e.g., eating a gluten free diet or increasing vitamin D and B12) may play a role in reducing the symptoms of Tourette's and obsessive compulsive disorder, disorders with some phenomenological and possibly genetic relationship to trichotillomania and skin ...

How rare is trichotillomania?

With a 1% prevalence rate, 2.5 million people in the U.S. may have trichotillomania at some time during their lifetimes.

What are 3 symptoms of trichotillomania?

A person with trichotillomania may experience the following behavioral and physical symptoms:
  • repetitive pulling of their hair, often without any awareness.
  • a sense of relief after pulling out hair.
  • inability to stop hair pulling, despite repeated attempts to stop.
  • anxiety and stress related to hair pulling.

Will hair grow back after being pulled out in a fight?

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.

What is the new name for trichotillomania?

In its most general description, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is just as the name states, an obsession known as repeated thoughts, or compulsions known as repeated activities. Under this particular spectrum of disorders, there is trichotillomania (TTM) also known as hair-pulling disorder.

What is the best haircut for trichotillomania?

A short and tapered haircut can be an excellent choice for managing trichotillomania. This haircut features short sides and back with longer hair on top, creating a tapered effect. The short length minimizes the visibility of bald spots and makes it harder to pull the hair.

What happens if trichotillomania is left untreated?

If trichotillomania is left untreated, hair pulling can cause permanent damage to your skin and hair follicles. If trichotillomania is associated with anxiety or another mental health issue, this can cause problems later in life.

Does Vaseline help with trichotillomania?

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.

What is the new treatment for trichotillomania?

Treatment with the drug memantine was associated with significant improvements compared to a placebo for patients with trichotillomania (a disorder where individuals cannot resist the urge to pull out their hair) and skin-picking disorder (also known as excoriation disorder).

What vitamin stops skin picking?

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.

What celebrities have trichotillomania?

From renowned actresses like Megan Fox to music icons like Justin Timberlake, these celebrities' experiences shed light on the daily battles they have fought and the impact trichotillomania, and its compulsion, has had on their lives.

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