Trichotillomania (or TTM) is widely known as a hair pulling disorder. TTM is a mental, compulsive disorder that is distinguishable through the long-lasting results of the urge to pull hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and other areas of the body.
TTM is similar to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in that the brain feels like something needs to be satisfied. There is a brief relief when the hair is pulled, but when the satisfaction dissipates, it’s followed by the recurring urge to pull again.
Causes and symptoms
Someone who has been suffering from TTM for a long period of time will naturally start to see bald patches throughout their scalp and on other areas of the body. In some cases, depending on the person’s age, the head may develop oddly shaped bald patches or only affect certain areas of the head. Typically, you’ll begin to see noticeable skin irritation as well where the hair is being pulled.
TTM is usually the response to stress, anxiety, and emotional tension. For young teenagers and adults, in some cases TTM can be the result of a chemical imbalance in the brain (which can lead to OCD behaviors) and drastic hormone level changes during puberty. Sometimes, when stressful situations arise, the hair pulling may even start to be a subconscious response.
Another symptom that can be linked to TTM is the urge to eat the hair that someone pulls from their body. This can lead to serious internal problems and must be treated immediately.
When TTM is not treated early, the symptoms begin to grow and the OCD becomes an addiction. The urge to pull hair out gets bigger and bigger and more difficult to control, therefore they continue to keep pulling hair.
How to treat Trichotillomania
Since TTM is a response to emotional or stress induced situations, treating TTM starts with emotional and behavioral therapy. In order to stop the physical action of pulling hair, you have to begin by treating the root cause of why you’re doing it. One of the most successful and common types of treatment is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT).
CBT is a therapy that focuses on your thoughts and emotions and how they are connected to your behavior. It’s important to identify the negative emotions that someone is feeling to gain an understanding of how those emotions develop a negative action.
Aside from the emotional treatment of TTM, some cases may cause the hair to stop growing altogether, resulting in thinning hair and permanent bald patches. At Hairlab Chicago, we offer a solution tailored to TTM and other symptoms like it! With our CNC and bonded hair solutions, we are able to cover the affected area, so as to stop the client from pulling hair at the scalp and reduce the urge (also known as interruption therapy). The bonded solution also allows the original hair underneath to grow under the system! By combining psychological therapy with CNC and bonded hair solutions, we’re able to help restore confidence and rejuvenate hair!
If you or someone you know is going through the effects of TTM, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We understand what it’s like losing hair and feeling like there’s nothing to do about it. That’s why we are here today.
