What is trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania is a mental disorder in which the patient has a strong desire to pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows or other areas of the body.
The following symptoms are characteristic:
- Strong desire to pull out hair;
- When you pull your hair, you feel happy and relieved;
- The result of hair loss is easily visible;
- A kind of ritual - you pull a specific type of hair in the same way;
- You chew, pinch, eat the plucked hair;
- You play with pulled hair;
- You really try to get used to this bad habit, but in vain;
- Due to the habit, you face severe distress at work, in social relations.
Symptoms of trichotillomania may also include skin irritation, lip or nail biting. Sometimes the patient removes hair from pets or dolls.
As a rule, the patient tries to hide the disorder, doing it silently.
The exact cause of trichotillomania is unknown. According to psychologists, both genetic and environmental factors are involved in the formation of the disorder.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/trichotillomania/symptoms-causes/syc-20355188
