The symptoms and effects can be severe but are often manageable with treatment.
A person with trichotillomania may also pull their hair out because of stress.
Sometimes, people with hair-pulling disorder dont even realize that theyre pulling their hair.
Jessica Olah / Verywell
About 5%20% of people with trichotillomania also have trichophagia.
Guilt and shame often follow the hair-pulling.
People with trichotillomania will often pull out their hair in private if possible.
How Is Trichotillomania Diagnosed?
There are various options for treating trichotillomania.
Even though hair-pulling disorder is classified as an obsessive-compulsive disorder, it is treated differently.
The goal is to replace hair pulling with a more helpful behavior.
CBT goes hand in hand with HRT but is a deeper dive into the thoughts behind a persons hair-pulling.
In CBT, people practice mindfulness and challenge limiting beliefs.
They also learn to identify the factors that lead to hair-pulling as well as the repercussions of the behavior.
Group Therapy
Trichotillomania can feel isolating.
If you are diagnosed with the condition, it can help to know that youre not alone.
The benefits of group therapy sessions can include:
Medications
No drug can treat or cure trichotillomania.
One of the most popular wearables for hair-pulling disorder isHabitAwares Keen2 bracelet, which costs about $150.
Increased awareness as people get older also helps them learn to manage the condition.
Once diagnosed, a person can explore treatment options for hair-pulling disorder like therapy and medication.
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