Trichotillomania

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Trichotillomania - top of the head

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Trichotillomania

Definition:

Trichotillomania is hair loss caused by compulsive pulling and/or twisting of the hair until it breaks off. The hair may be lost in round patches or diffusely across the scalp. The effect is an uneven appearance. Other hairy areas may be plucked, such as the eyebrows, eyelashes, or body hair.

Alternative Names:

Compulsive hair pulling

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Trichotillomania is a type of compulsive behavior and its causes are not clearly understood. Symptoms usually begin before the age of 17. It may affect as much as 4% of the population. People with this disorder will often seek the help of a dermatologist initially. Women are 4 times more likely to be affected than men.

Review Date: 5/4/2004
Reviewed By: Ram Chandran Kalyanam, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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