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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Monday, March 22, 2010
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Monday, March 22, 2010
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Anxiety and Stress Disorders |
Treatment of Trichotillomania or Hair Pulling10/01/2001 |
What is the disorder called that involves mostly women (I believe)-where they have the habit of pulling their hair out(one hair at a time). And what is the treatment?
Trichotillomania is the medical term for the hair pulling order you describe. It is characterized by an irresistible urge to pull hair that results in reduced tension and some gratification, but can lead to significant hair loss. The hair can be pulled from all parts of the body, but the scalp is the most common. It is one of a class of problems called Impulse Control Disorders. It can begin in childhood, the most common times being 5 - 8 and around 13 years old. Most people with the illness usually begin pulling their hair before young adulthood. In children, it is equal between boys and girls, but in adults, it occurs primarily in women. Some people have continuous problems for years and even decades, while for others, the symptoms may come and go for weeks and even years at a time. Treatment is usually a type of therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy. Medications can sometimes be useful.
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Nancy Elder, MD Associate Professor Department of Family Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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