Trichotillomania

BRIEF SUMMARY

Trichotillomania (TTM), also known as hair pulling disorder, is an impulse control disorder characterized by a long term urge that results in the pulling out of one’s hair. This occurs to such a degree that hair loss can be seen. Efforts to stop pulling hair typically fail.

KEY POINTS

• Trichotillomania is defined as a self-induced and recurrent loss of hair.
• It may lie on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, also encompassing obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), nail biting (onychophagia) and skin picking (dermatillomania), tic disorders and eating disorders.
• It is usually confined to one or two sites, but can involve multiple sites. The scalp is the most common pulling site, followed by the eyebrows, eyelashes, face, arms, and legs.

SHARED WISDOM

• The disorder may run in families. It occurs more commonly in those with obsessive compulsive disorder.
• Treatment is typically with cognitive behavioral therapy. The medication clomipramine may also be helpful.

RESOURCES

• Trichotillomania Fact Sheet
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