Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania, also known as trich or TTM, is when someone cannot resist the urge to pull out their hair. They may pull out the hair on their head or in other places, such as their eyebrows or eyelashes. They may do so to ease stress, anxiety, boredom, or for other reasons. Trichotillomania is a type of impulse control disorder. People with these disorders know that it might be harmful if they act on an impulse like hairpulling, but they cannot stop themselves. Trichotillomania can cause hair loss, including uneven bald patches, that can make people feel self-conscious or embarrassed. This can lead to emotional distress or avoiding social situations. Even though having trichotillomania or pulling your hair is not your fault, there can be social stigma around talking about it. Diagnostic Criteria
A. Recurrent pulling out of one’s hair, resulting in hair loss.

B. Repeated attempts to decrease or stop hair pulling.

C. The hair pulling causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.

D. The hair pulling or hair loss is not attributable to another medical condition (e.g., a dermatological condition).

E. The hair pulling is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder (e.g., attempts to improve a perceived defect or flaw in appearance in body dysmorphic disorder).