Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania—sometimes called Hair-Pulling Disorder—is a condition where someone feels a strong, often uncontrollable urge to pull out their own hair. This can lead to noticeable hair loss and cause a lot of stress, embarrassment, or shame.

It’s classified as part of the Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders in the DSM-5 and falls under a group of conditions called Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs).

• Repeatedly pulling hair from areas like the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, or other body parts
• Trying but struggling to stop or cut down on the hair-pulling
• Hair loss that can lead to feelings of shame, hiding the behavior, or avoiding social situations
• Pulling episodes that can be either automatic (done without really noticing) or focused (more deliberate)
• Often feeling tension or an urge before pulling, followed by relief or satisfaction afterward

• Automatic Pulling: Happens without full awareness—like when doing other tasks or zoning out
• Focused Pulling: Happens on purpose, often in response to specific urges or thoughts
• Most people experience a mix of both automatic and focused pulling