Cause of Trichotillomania

The term " trichotillomania " comes from the Greek words " thrix " , which means " hair " and " Tillein " which means "pull" and "mania" , the Greek word for "madness " or " frenzy ". As its name implies trichotillomania is a psychiatric disorder in which a person has an uncontrollable urge to pull his own hair. for people with trichotillomania , hair pulling is more than usual. rather it is a compulsive behavior that the person is very difficult to stop. tricholomania the cause is supposed to be the balance of chemicals in the human brain.


People with trichotillomania pull hair from the root from places like the scalp , eyebrows , eyelashes, or even the pubic area. Some people even pull handfuls of hair , which can leave bald patches on the scalp or eyebrows plates. Other people get their hair one strand at a time. Some inspect the strands after them out or play with the hair after it has been fired. About half of people with this disease also usually put the hair pulled in the mouth.

Trichotillomania has been mentioned as a disorder in early historical documents . But clinically the condition trichotillomania was first described in 1889 by French physician Francois Hallopeau . The condition is rare - statistics show that only affects 1% to 3 % of the population , although new research suggests that the rate of hair pulling may be around 10% or more .

Trichotillomania affects about twice as many girls as boys. Most people who have trichotillomania develop the condition during adolescence. However, it may begin when a person is as young as 1 year.

Trichotillomania is often the cause of embarrassment , frustration , shame , depression or for those affected by the disease. These people also suffer from low self-esteem. They often try to hide their behavior from others. Therefore, social alienation is common in trichotillomania patients . In addition , patients also try to cover patches of balding scalp by wearing wigs, hats, scarves or hair clips, or applying makeup or even tattoo.

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Doctors do not know much about the cause of trichotillomania . It is believed that genetics plays a major role. Compulsive behavior like trichotillomania can sometimes run in families . Some psychiatrists believe that this could be related to OCD since OCD and trichotillomania are both anxiety disorders. This is one reason why the impulses that lead to hair pulling can be stronger when a person is stressed or worried.

Experts believe that the real cause of tricholomania is the chemical imbalance in the brain. These chemicals , called neurotransmitters are part of the communication center of the brain. When something interferes with how neurotransmitters work , it can cause problems like compulsive behaviors .

Since trichotillomania is a medical condition , it is not something most people can not just stop doing when they feel like it . People with trichotillomania usually need help from medical experts before stopping. With the right help , though, most people overcome their hair-pulling urges . This assistance may include therapy , medication or a combination of both .

There are therapies in which special behavior techniques are used to help people to recognize the urge to pull hair before the desire becomes too strong to resist . The patient learns ways to resist so that the urge becomes weaker and then disappears.

Many people find it helpful to keep their hands busy with a different activity ( like squeezing a stress ball or drawing ) during times when the urge to pull hair is strong. Even activities like knitting while watching TV seems to help .

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