The act of pulling out hair is strongly related to anxiety and emotional problems
During the confinement of BBB 23, in conversation with Bruna Griphao, participant Amanda Meirelles reported that she suffers from a condition that leads to pulling out body hair and strands of hair in stressful situations. In addition to the hair, she told her friend that she even used tweezers to pull out the hair on both arms. Dermatologist Dr. Cintia Guedes, member of the Brazilian Society of Dermatology, explains that trichotillomania is a behavioral disorder strongly linked to anxiety and emotional problems.
Habit of plucking wires
the act of pluck the wires it can often involve rituals. “When the person selects a thread, or a certain number of threads, or even a specific type of thread (thick or thin, lighter or darker, more wavy or smoother) to remove”, contextualizes the doctor.
According to Dr. Cintia Guedes, there are also people who pull out the wires and can even use tools, such as tweezers. “Usually, they are women who come to the dermatologist’s office complaining of scalp flaws. Some of them perceive impulses. Others can pull the wires automatically during routine activities, such as while watching television. That way, failures appear without realizing when they started,” she argues.
Consequences of trichotillomania
In addition to discomfort, trichotillomania can cause a host of other problems, such as noticeable hair loss, redness, and even serious infections. “The condition can also leave scars, which may require professional treatments“, says the doctor. Hair pulling can occur at any time during childhood, adolescence, or even adulthood. It is rarely an isolated occurrence.
Emotions arising from this problem
In emotional cases, the patient is more aware of his compulsion, even if he cannot resist the impulse to remove the threads, according to the doctor. In this way, numerous negative emotions can arise, such as frustration (for not being able to control impulses), shame, fear of being discovered, in addition to dissatisfaction with appearance (caused by the lack of hair in certain areas of the head), highlights Dr. Cintia Guedes.
In addition, “it may happen that people suffering from trichotillomania also have problems with other repetitive behaviors focused on the body, such as onychophagia (nail biting), dermatillomania (impulse to injure one’s own skin for reasons not related to cosmetics) or even disorders such as depression”, argues the dermatologist.
Treatment for trichotillomania
Treatment should be done not only with a dermatologist, the professional responsible for making the diagnosis. Dr. Cintia emphasizes that welcoming the patient with a multidisciplinary team with a psychologist, a psychiatrist and the dermatologist himself is fundamental. “In the case of capillary failures, the dermatologist may recommend supplements, medications or treatments such as microneedling, lasers and infusion of substances to stimulate hair growth”, she concludes.
By Maria Claudia
Source: Maxima
I am an experienced author and journalist with a passion for lifestyle journalism. I currently work for Buna Times, one of the leading news websites in the world. I specialize in writing stories about health, wellness, fashion, beauty, interior design, and more. My articles have been featured on major publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post.