Can Trichotillomania Cause Permanent Hair Loss?

Fact: Hair loss is one experience that no one wants to have. It could be caused by a variety of reasons such as nutritional deficiency, stress, age, hereditary issues, cancer treatment, and so on. (1)

In today's article, we're going to talk about trichotillomania as a whole and discuss whether or not it could result in permanent hair loss.

Keep reading to find out more...

Trichotillomania is a mental health condition defined by an individual's extreme urge to pull out their hair. Due to its easy accessibility, the scalp is most often affected by this illness. Having said that, people who experience this issue could also rip out their eyelashes, eyebrows, and beard strands. Once pulled out, many patients eat their strands, which generally leads to several stomach issues.

The main cause for this condition is unknown. However, the symptoms of the same do cause emotional distress and can even hinder the patient's occupational and social functioning.

While frequent hair pulling can result in extensive hair loss over time, the consequences aren't permanent and can be reversed with the proper treatment.

As mentioned above, the main symptom of trichotillomania is the act of repeatedly pulling out one's own hair. Other signs of the same include the following:

1. The individual experiences extreme stress followed by a sense of great relief after pulling their hair out.
2. Depending on the severity of the situation and the frequency with which they pull their strands out, the person could eventually find bald patches on their scalp.
3. As a result of their condition, the patient may encounter a generalized tingling or itching sensation (also known as pruritus) in the affected area.
4. The individual may encounter an undeniable urge to twist their hair. In certain cases, this urge could also lead to stress, which, in turn, could lead to the person pulling out their strands to experience relief.
5. Apart from the above, the patient may also exhibit a variety of ritualistic behaviors such as counting their strands, trying to place each strand in order, and playing with their hair roots (also known as bulb roots). In rare cases, this may occur before the hair-pulling phase, and loved ones are generally asked to look for these early signs to treat the condition in time.
6. The patient may try to conceal their hair pulling tendencies. In many cases, this act could appear in the form of adding extensions to the hair or wearing caps, false eyelashes, and wings in public settings. They may also be extremely secretive about their behavior and can avoid socializing to avoid spotlighting their lack of hair.
7. Once pulled out, the person may either hide or ingest their hair. Repetitive ingestion of hair could result in the formation of a hairball in the stomach. This could cause nausea, abdominal pain, anemia, and issues related to bowel movements.
8. Besides hair-related symptoms, individuals may also showcase other signs of this condition. These include the following:

• The abrading or excoriation (wearing off) of skin
• Cracking one's knuckles
• Extreme scratching of one's skin
• The gnawing of one's skin
• Biting one's nails

As mentioned before, hair loss due to trichotillomania isn't permanent, and the condition can be reversed provided the patient undergoes the proper treatment.

Treatment is further split into two variations:

a) Psychotherapy

Simply put, psychotherapy uses various psychological methods to cure one's trichotillomania. This includes cognitive-behavioral therapies like awareness training, habit reversal, and stimulus control. This kind of treatment aims to understand and change the individual's emotions to prevent their hair-pulling behavior.

b) Pharmacotherapy

This type of therapy uses medication to treat mental conditions. Having said that, the majority of medications available today are still pending clinical trials and are, therefore, not considered to be extremely safe.

Currently, more research is required to determine whether these therapies work better in tandem or apart.

If you experience hair loss due to trichotillomania, we highly recommend visiting the dermatologist as soon as possible. In most cases, the doctor will conduct some tests on your scalp and ask you a few questions about your condition and the kind of medication you're taking to combat the symptoms of the same. Based on your answers and the severity of your condition, the doctor could prescribe an array of treatment options to combat your hair loss.

Needless to say, trichotillomania is a serious mental health condition that could result in extreme stress and low self-esteem issues. However, with the proper treatment, the individual will be able to grow their hair back in no time.