Hair loss is a problem that gives headaches to a lot of people. But it even gets worse if the person is responsible for it. We're speaking about a disorder known as trichotillosis and observed in about 2% of the American population. However, the number of people affected by this disorder may be higher since a lot of people either don't realize having this issue or don't want to discuss it with anyone else.

What is trichotillosis?

Trichotillosis (also referred to as trichotillomania) is a medical condition in which the person tends to pull one's hair on a regular basis. Such a behavior can be involuntary and have different causes including obsessive compulsive disorder, tic disorder, mental illness and a range of other psychological conditions. Doctors note that it is usually a genetically transmitted condition that is usually triggered by excessive stress or anxiety. And despite the fact that a lot of people are affected by it, there's not much information on the matter and it is not as extensively studied as other psychological disorders.

Signs of trichotillosis

Hair pulling under trichotillosis may be performed either involuntary or in a discreet manner because it provides gratification to the affected person. The most obvious sign of this disorder is the hair pulling itself and specific bald spots that aren't typical for natural hair loss. In most cases the affected person pulls hair on the head in one or a set of specific spots, however it was observed that some patients pulled their eyelashes, eyebrows and even pubic hair under the same conditions. Hair pulling usually starts in a high stress environment or when the person experiences anxiety. In circumstances when there's no stress trichotillosis typically is not manifested.

Diagnosis and treatment

As mentioned earlier, it's quite hard to diagnose this condition in a lot of patients without direct observation because the affected person typically doesn't confess having such a habit. Moreover, a lot of people are pulling their own hair involuntary without even noticing it, so it's really hard to make a diagnosis without the help of additional witnesses. In case the person admits having such a habit it's much easier to make a diagnosis. Otherwise, dermatologists and trichologists analyze the pattern of hair loss and look for other factors that may cause such an effect.

Choosing the right treatment depends on the age of the patient and actual condition. In children this disorder is usually ignored since it wears off with age. In teens and young adults this disorder becomes very sensitive due to the emotional response it may trigger. In older adults it is typically caused by excessive stress, so instead of trying to use Propecia in order to stop hair loss, it is advised to asses your stress exposure first.

Both medications and psychological therapy are used for treating trichotillosis. The success of treatment depends on the severity of condition and willingness of the patient to get rid of the disorder. There's no sense in using Propecia or any other hair loss medications when dealing with trichotillosis since it delivers a mechanical damage on the outside rather than a nutritional or hormonal imbalance on the inside, which drugs like Propecia are aimed for.