Hair Pulling Could Be The Result of Trichotillomania

Have you recently noticed your child doing something odd, such as pulling her hair out? If you have a child that is pulling their hair out, not during temper tantrums, but randomly, your child may very well be suffering from trichotillomania, also known in the abbreviated form as TTM.

According to www.medicinenet.com, trichotillomania is compulsive hair pulling and is a disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pull out scalp hair, eyelashes, eyebrows or other body hair.

Reports have shown that symptoms of this disorder can begin in the early stages of being a toddler, school aged children, teens and even adults. This article is about children who may be suffering from trichotillomania, so the information contained within it are directed towards children. But, it should be known that people at all stages of life may suffer from TTM.

The cause or trichotillomania is relatively unknown, but there have been breakthroughs in medical and psychological treatments to help soothe the symptoms and of course the aftermath of pulling ones hair out.

Sometimes the child pulling out his our her hair is an isolated incident, other times, it may become a recurring incident that a parent simply cannot ignore. A woman I know came to me explaining that her child had a bald patch on her head and at first was unsure how this could have happened, she first asked the child if someone at school had pulled her hair. The child replied "no, Mommy, I pulled my hair out." The mother was, of course, in shock at first, she then asked her child "why on Earth would you pull out your own hair?" The child could not give her an answer, in fact, the young child couldn't even comprehend why there should be any reason. She felt the urge to pull out her hair, and she did. It should be known that other than the new actions of pulling out her hair at random, to the point of leaving bald patches, the child was essentially normal. She was doing well in school, mannerly, did not act out, came from a stable home, and had never shown any signs or symptoms of any type of psychological disorder. So why is it then, that this child would start pulling her own hair out?

So, we know that this is some sort of compulsive disorder, but what else is it? Even pronouncing trichotillomania is a challenge, let alone understanding what it is, how to treat it, and how to stop it. For starters, let's start with the pronunciation, trichotillomania (trick-o-til-o-MAY-nee-ah). Ok, we have that part taken care of, now lets look at the symptoms of trichotillomania.

Symptoms of Trichotillomania

Each case can vary, but generally speaking, some things to look out for include your child's inability to control or resist the impulse to pull their own hair. Sometimes the child may feel the urge to pull out their hair and avoid the urges for a while, but before long they are unable to resist the urge to pull. Think of that nagging mosquito bite on your arm, you know if you scratch it, it will only lead to more itching sensations, but, more often than not, the urge to scratch it overwhelms you and you just 'do it.' Possibly the same can be applied to the irresistible urge of the child to pull out their hair. In fact, some reports and studies reveal that many children suffering from trichotillomania say they get a sense of relief after pulling out their hair. If you don't technically see your child pulling out their own hair, but you start to notice bald patches on their head or eyebrows, you should of course be concerned. If you have ruled out any bullying from school or possible child abuse by another parent or caregiver, you should then look to sources such as this article as well as a wonderful website devoted to trichotillomania, www.trich.org.

What Causes Trichotillomania?

According to the trich.org website, the specific cause of TTM in children is still not fully known and research is only in the early stages. Some of the preliminary evidence of cause for pulling out hair due to an impulsive urge to do so may be due to neuro-biological disorder, genetic predisposition, anxiety, sensory events, and of course 'the unknown cause."

When looking at the possible cause of genetics, can you think back to yourself having any episodes such as this as a child, your child's other parent? It may be a good idea to speak with your child's grandparents to see if they or possibly one of their siblings had an issue with pulling out their hair as a child. Detective work is never wasted time when it includes your child's health, safety, and well-being. Is your child experiencing any stressful situations recently? A move, divorce, death in the family, etc? Studies reveal that the average onset of actual trichotillomania is 11, but there have been several documented cases of the disorder beginning in toddler hood, during the teen years, or not having any onset of symptoms until adulthood.

How is Trichotillomania Treated?

Please do your research but don't let these signs go ignored. You should schedule an appointment for your child with their pediatrician. Come to the appointment armed with some research you have gathered online, from relatives, etc. Your primary care provider will be able to help point you in the right direction of getting help for your child. This may include counselling, therapy, or a psych eval by a trained professional. This is not something to be embarrassed by and by all means, do not let your child see the embarrassment of their actions in you.

For further information, I highly suggest trich.org as well as doing an Internet search for trichotillomania or TTM. If your child is given the diagnosis of TTM, seek out TTM support groups in your area or online. This does not appear to be in any way a life threatening disorder, but it may very well be a quality of life threatening disorder and should be evaluated by a medical professional.

Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania
www.mayoclinic.com
www.medicinenet.com
www.trich.org
www.google.com/health