Trichotillomania is characterised by the urge to pull out your own hair. Many find the impulse hard to resist and it can lead to extensive hair loss. It is now thought to affect around two per cent of the population at some time or other and so is by no means rare. The majority of sufferers are female.
Symptoms of trichotillomania
Firstly and most obviously is the urge to pull hair. If you find it hard to resist the urge to pull hair, even when you don’t want to, you are likely to be suffering from trichotillomania. Frequent pulling will lead to visible hair loss.
Suffers report feeling a rise in tension building up to pulling and they may even try to stop themselves. They will then feel a sense of relief when they actually pull, although this is often quickly followed by guilt or regret. People generally know that they shouldn’t be doing it, but can’t help themselves.
Triggers
There are several, recognised triggers for hair pulling. If you find yourself looking for thicker hairs, those that are more coarse, or those that you consider ‘wrong’ this is likely to presage a bout of hair pulling. Similarly, looking for hairs of an unwanted colour may also be a trigger. Many people continually pull until one particular hair has gone.