Trichtillomania Causes

A definitive cause of Trichotillomania is as yet undiscovered. Many have speculated that the hair pulling disorder is a result of biological, psychological or behavioural aspects. There is even a suggestion that young children may pick up this trait by observing adults, whereas others believe the causes to be chemical or stress related.

One of the more common theories highlights the emotional and psychological sides to the condition. Mental distress and anxiety are suggested by many to be instrumental in  causing the compulsive pulling out of hair from the head, eyelids, eyebrows and the body as a method of coping with these traumatic feelings. Some trichotillomania sufferers have also been known to display symptoms of other conditions, such as depression or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Biologically speaking, suggested trichotillomania causes range from gene mutation to chemical abnormalities. Some experts believe that trichotillomania sufferers carry an altered gene, SLITRK1, whose job is to tell the body to create specific proteins. This type of gene mutation is often suspected to be inherited by one or more close relatives.

Sometimes, the causes of trichotillomania can be linked to habitual or learned behavioural patterns. This hair pulling may arise in childhood as a result of observing an adult or sibling, leading ultimately to becoming a habit, and after time, may develop into a coping mechanism to help deal with stress.

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What Is Trichotillomania?

Trichtillomania is the rare impulse control disorder that results in the compulsion to pull out one’s own hair. The hair can come from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows and the pubic area, frequently resulting in bald patches. This inevitably causes a build up of anxiety and low self-esteem and can often lead to social and work problems.

The condition typically arises in childhood or adolescence, often at the onset of puberty. Some will improve with age, but others may find the condition continuing into adulthood. As an example, in America it is thought that between 1% and 3% of the population suffer from trichotillomania, and of those, around 80% are women.

The actual causes of trichotillomania remain unknown, but many sufferers also endure related impulse control disorders such as nail-biting and skin-picking, depressive disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder. Some data links trichotillomania to chemical imbalance, genetics or stress, which is known to intensify the condition.

In some instances ,Trichophagia, the swallowing of extracted hair, may also arise. This can be very dangerous as it can result in the formation of hairballs, which may need surgical removal to prevent blockages of the intestine.

As trichotillomania is primarily a behavioural problem, the treatment offered is typically psychological, such as Habit Reversal Training. This places a great deal of focus on raising the sufferers’ awareness of when and why the hair pulling occurs, with the aim of educating patients to redirect their compulsion. Anti-depressants can also be an effective form of treatment for some.

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