Julia Markovich, LCSW
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  • Sub-Specialties
    • Checking OCD
    • Moral OCD
    • Relationship OCD
    • Harm OCD
    • Contamination OCD
    • Excoriation(Skin-Picking)
    • Trichotillomania
    • Generalized Anxiety
    • Perfectionism
    • Phobias
  • Anxiety and OCD Resources
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Julia Markovich, LCSW
  • Home
  • Sub-Specialties
    • Checking OCD
    • Moral OCD
    • Relationship OCD
    • Harm OCD
    • Contamination OCD
    • Excoriation(Skin-Picking)
    • Trichotillomania
    • Generalized Anxiety
    • Perfectionism
    • Phobias
  • Anxiety and OCD Resources
  • Investment

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).


Core Features of Trichotillomania:

  • 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


Types of Hair-Pulling:

  • 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

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