Perhaps because it is little-known, the figures for the numbers of people thought to be suffering from trichotillomania are surprisingly high.
Trichotillomania is the compulsion to pull out your own hair. It is more common in women than men, but it is thought that around two to four per cent of people suffer from it to some degree. It might be a mild compulsion or it could be more severe, with some sufferers unable to stop themselves and going so far as to pull out huge patches of hair or even plucking their entire scalp.
A trichotillomania sufferer will tend to suffer a mild endorphin rush when a hair is pulled. This is triggered by the slight sensation of pain and can effectively become addictive. Sufferers report feeling calmed by pulling out hairs. However, as hairs desensitise after several pluckings, the person is likely to expand the area they pluck in search of the same feeling as they no longer get the same feeling of relief.
Many people suffering from trichotillomania believe that they are alone, but the figure given above indicates that is far from the case.