What is Trichotillomania? Compulsive Hair Pulling

Trichotillomania suffers are blighted by uncontrollable urges to pluck the hair of the scalp and even eyebrows and lashes, often to the point of baldness.

Trichotillomania may affect up to 5% of the population, although getting a handle on the exact prevalence is difficult, partly because sufferers may hide their condition and be too embarrassed to seek help.


Hair-pulling most commonly begins in the early teens, although it can start at a much younger or older age, and in some cases can be linked to a stressful life event like the death of a family member.

For some, hair-pulling can be seen as a soothing behaviour that is driven by rising tension.

For others, hair-pulling is undertaken during times of relaxation and is a habit that is to some extent subconscious.

Once the hair has been pulled it is often played with or eaten rather than immediately discarded.

Trichotillomania shares some common features with obsessive compulsive disorder, and is probably linked to common genetic factors, but it is not the same condition.