Question:
I am a 20 year old female college student. I had a roommate last year that used to pull her hair constantly. Is this a hair loss condition, and can the hair grow back if it’s pulled out. I would like to have a better understanding of what is going on with her before I return back to school.
Answer:
Trichotillomania (often called “Trich”) is a type of impulse control disorder. People who have “trich” have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, usually from their scalp, eyelashes and eyebrows. They know that they can do damage by acting on the impulses, but they cannot help themselves. They may pull out their hair when they’re stressed as a way to try to soothe themselves. Besides repeated hair pulling, other symptoms may include: Feeling tense before pulling - Feeling relieved, satisfied, or pleased after acting on the impulse – Distress or problems in work, school, or social life due to the pulling – Bare patches where the hair has been pulled out – Behaviors such as inspecting the hair root, twirling , pulling hair between teeth, chewing on hair or eating hair.
Many who have this disorder deny they have a problem and often times attempt to hide their hair loss by wearing hats, scarves, wigs, false eyelashes and eyebrows. We have seen those who wear wigs will often pull the hair from the wig instead of their own hair. “Trich” like many other impulse disorders can be controlled through medications and therapy and should be sought out by their medical professional. The extent of their hair loss can be treated by a hair loss professional if the individual’s hair root is still intact. If the root has been damaged the hair loss is permanent, but alternatives are available in that case.
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