The BFRB Precision Medicine Initiative
Image courtesy of the TLC Foundation for BFRBs
Trichotillomania Blog
Princess locks for Victoria
No woman would ever want to look at themselves in the mirror and see bald patches. Yet, this is what some women who pull their hair out compulsively have to experience, living with the knowledge that they have caused that damage to their own hair. This condition, known as trichotillomania can cause guilt, shame and a reluctance to be seen in public and results in many attempts to cover up the bald patches. Victoria, a young woman living in Scotland experienced this shame since she started pulling her hair out at the age of 14, after the death of her stepfather.
Homeopathic management of Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania is classified in the DSM5 as an obesessive compusive and related disorder and is a condition where some individuals start to pull out their body hair. The person likely targets pulling the hair on the head, beard, mustache, eyelashes, or eyebrows. This disorder leaves patchy areas of hair loss and is apparent to those they come in contact with. Causes for compulsive disorder varies with some pulling when they are stressed or anxious, while others pull when they are bored or relaxed. Trichotillomania can be be a debilitating disorder consuming the individual's every day life. Trichotillomania is also grouped with other similar disorders like compulsive skin picking and nail biting under the umbrella term Body focused Repetitive Behaviors or BFRB.
Homeopathy for Trichotillomania
Are Anorexia and Trichotillomania Connected?
Two mental health disorders that gain attention, especially among young teenaged girls, are anorexia and trichotillomania. While these are first noticed most often in teenage girls, either or both can be experienced by anyone, male or female, at nearly any age. Traditionally, anorexia was experienced more my girls, but an increasing number of young men are now being recognized. Trichotillomania affects both boys and girls equally when they are young, but for those who don't get treatment and continue into adulthood, the majority is women. What are these two disorders and are they in some way connected? Few studies have been done addressing this issue, but what is available may help in the treating of both disorders. In this article, we will explore the two disorders, seek any connections and discuss treatment.
N-Acetylcysteine for Trichotillomania: New Research
A recent study suggests that the use of n-acetylcysteine has had a remarkable effect in treating trichotillomania or hair-pulling syndrome in two patients. One patient, a 30 year-old female, saw the hair pulling behavior subside within two months. The second patient, a 14 year-old girl, stopped pulling her hair within two weeks. The n-acetylcysteine showed no side effects and seemed to be well tolerated and effective.
Natural Remedies for Trichotillomania
In a recent YouTube video, user TheNesa67 discusses her struggles with trichotillomania, particularly the way it compelled her to pluck out her eyebrows and eyelashes. She discussed the ways that her condition embarrassed her, before giving viewers a thorough and engaging natural healing method that was inexpensive, easy to implement, and which used multiple essential oils to to help her resist the urge to pull her hair out of her body.
A Mini-guide to Trichotillomania in Children and Adolescence
Trichotillomania is the medical term for a disorder that involves a recurrent and irresistible urge to pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes and other parts of the body, typically resulting in noticeable bald patches. It is estimated to affect 1-2 percent of the population (about 4-11 million Americans) and the disorder can affect people of any age, but it often begins in childhood and adolescence. For some children, trichotillomania may mild, but for others the compulsive urge to pull hair is overwhelming, which leads to significant distress and can interfere with social functioning. The majority of children who have been diagnosed with the disorder often pull out their hair one strand at a time and they will often inspect or play with the strand of hair after pulling it out, and about half of those with trichotillomania put the hair in their mouth after pulling it.
Viviscal Supplements and Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania was first named by the French dermatologist François Henri Hallopeau and derives from Greek terms that basically mean 'hair pulling mania'. That gives a clue as to what trichotillomania is; it's an obsessive-compulsive type disorder that compels its sufferers to pluck and pull at hair on their heads and bodies. While the disorder may be present in babies, it most commonly manifests itself in adolescents, from age 9 to 13, and it can manifest in adults as well. Because of social stigmas surrounding appearance, it can be difficult for sufferers to come forward and admit they are struggling with trichotillomania, and many will continue to suffer from it silently for months or years before they are finally treated.
Pages
Online Test for Trichotillomania
Find Out The Severity of Your Hair Pulling With This Free Online Test
