Trichotillomania: How Common is It?
05 / 23 / 17

Trichotillomania: How Common is It?

Are you familiar with trichotillomania—the condition that causes people to pull, twist, and chew on their hair, often leading to patchy hair loss or even baldness? For many, the condition remains largely unknown, but that’s not to say that it is uncommon. Trichotillomania impacts more people than you might think.

In this post, we’ll go into some of the details of just how widespread and prevalent it is. We’ll also discuss its symptoms, as well as some of the treatment options that exist for those who struggle with trichotillomania.

How Many People Have Trichotillomania?

According to some studies, there could be as many as 2.5 million Americans who have this condition—by no means a small amount. And while it is much more common among women, there are some men who have it. Additionally, trichotillomania can begin at any age.

The bottom line? This condition is an equal opportunity offender, and pretty much anyone could have it. More bad news: Its effects can be significant and permanent, and there is no cure. The good news, however, is that trichotillomania can be treated, and the effects of hair loss can be mitigated.

The Effects of Trichotillomania

With that said, how does this condition manifest? It is essentially an obsessive-compulsive disorder, and when it isn’t treated it leads to uncontrollable desires to twist, pull, or bite your own hair. Though most people with trichotillomania pull hair from their scalp, in some cases they end up pulling hair from their eyebrows.

This is not at all a case of simply brushing away the occasional stray hair; it’s a real compulsion that the individual has little or no control over. And it leads not only to hair loss, but also to scarring to the scalp and to the hair follicles—which means the hair loss can become long-lasting, even permanent.

Trichotillomania Causes and Treatments

Science has not yet reached a verdict on why this condition happens, though it is widely assumed that trichotillomania is rooted in complex stress disorders. Though it cannot be cured, the condition can be treated. The approach most doctors will recommend is therapy, which can provide some level of control over the symptoms. If you believe that you have trichotillomania, we’d urge you to talk to your doctor about it—and to discuss different therapeutic options—as soon as possible.

Hair Replacement Options from New Image

Even if the effects are significant and permanent, there are steps you can take to replace the hair you’ve lost. Here, the options are numerous, and include everything from laser hair therapy to hair systems. It’s really just a matter of the specifics of your condition, and the extent of hair loss.

To learn more about some of the hair replacement options available to you, contact our stylists at New Image today. We work with many individuals who have trichotillomania, and we are ready to work with you, helping you to both look and feel like yourself again.