Trichotillomania

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Trichotillomania - top of the head

Overview Symptoms Treatment Prevention

Trichotillomania

These symptoms are usually seen in children:

• constant tugging, pulling, or twisting of hair
• increasing sense of tension is present before the hair pulling
• sense of relief, pleasure, or gratification is reported after the hair pulling
• hair pulling leads to an uneven appearance
• bare patches or diffuse loss of hair
• hair regrowth in the bare spots that feels like stubble
• some individuals may develop a bowel obstruction if they eat the hair they pull out
• other self-injury behaviors may be present
• people suffering from this disorder often deny pulling out their hair

A biopsy may be done to rule out other causes, such as a scalp infection, to explain the hair loss.

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