Contrary to popular belief, not all hair-loss issues are genetic. In fact, hair loss can be explained by a wide variety of factors – including genetic reasons, hormonal levels and even psychological problems and stressors.

Trichotillomania is one such psychological disorder.

What Is Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder, which involves sustained hair pulling as reaction to stress. It is generally believed to be a coping mechanism for stress and negative emotions. Although sufferers of Trichotillomania are susceptible to hair pulling on any part of their bodies, the most commonly pulled area is the scalp.

Hair pulling episodes can range in length from seconds long to hours at-a-time, and can result in wildly varying hair-lengths in sufferers.

So, what can cause Trichotillomania?

It’s unclear what exactly causes Trichotillomania, although several factors are accepted to increase the risk of onset. These include:

  • Age
  • Stress
  • Family history
  • Having other related disorders; such as depression or anorexia nervosa

Over sustained periods, this hair-pulling can lead to surprising and dramatic hair loss.

How Trichotillomania Affects People

The uncertain causes of Trichotillomania understandably lead to a host of negative feelings. In cases where Trichotillomania is brought on as a result of stress, this can lead to a dangerously self-perpetuating cycle.

Sufferers of Trichotillomania frequently feel misunderstood and vulnerable, and the consequences of the disorder can be wide-ranging.

People can feel:

  • Afraid to go out in public out of concern and shame over appearance
  • A lack of confidence in one’s career and having productivity and professionalism affected by hair-pulling
  • A concern for developing personal relationships due to a fear of judgement and shame

How Advanced Hair Studio Tackles Trichotillomania

The damage of Trichotillomania needn’t be irreparable. Advanced Hair Studio is committed to helping men and women who suffer from Trichotillomania through a variety of our industry-leading treatments.

In addition to our treatments such as Strand-By-Strand or Laser Therapy, Advanced Hair Studio has an in-house trichologist, hair loss expert Mark Birch. Mark is a world-leading hair and scalp specialist. He goes beyond identifying the causes and determinants of your hair loss, and will suggest the best course of action for you and your hair care journey going forward. Sufferers of Trichotillomania often don’t know where to turn to for help; Advanced Hair Studio has the resources and solutions for you.

Around the world, we’ve already treated 500 000 people, and helped them get their and confidence back. It’s never too late to make a change. We recommend that you get in touch, and book a free Advanced Hair Check. This is a no obligation way of determining the extent of your hair loss, and the ideal treatment to take your first step to recovery.