Trichotillomania Health Dictionary

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Trichotillomania: From 3 Different Sources

The habit of constantly pulling out one’s hair. It can be associated with severe mental handicap or with a psychotic illness. It may also occur in psychologically disturbed children. The sufferer typically pulls, twists, and breaks off chunks of hair from the scalp, leaving bald patches; occasionally, pubic hair is pulled out. Children sometimes eat the removed hair, which may form a hairball in the stomach, known medically as a trichobezoar (see bezoar). Treatment depends on the cause, and may consist of psychotherapy or antipsychotic drugs.
Health Source: BMA Medical Dictionary
Author: The British Medical Association
An obsessional impulse to pull out one’s own hair.
Health Source: Medical Dictionary
Author: Health Dictionary
n. a pathologically strong impulse that causes a person to persistently rub or pull out his or her hair, causing conspicuous hair loss. This is a disorder of impulse control.
Health Source: Oxford | Concise Colour Medical Dictionary
Author: Jonathan Law, Elizabeth Martin

Alopecia

Loss or absence of hair, which may occur at any hair-bearing site on the body but which is usually noticeable only on the scalp.

Male-pattern baldness, the most common form of alopecia, is hereditary and most often affects men. Normal hair is lost initially from the temples and crown and is replaced by fine, downy hair; the affected area gradually widens. Other hereditary forms are rare. They may be due to an absence of hair roots or abnormalities of the hair shaft.

In generalized alopecia, the hair falls out in large amounts. Causes include various forms of stress, such as surgery, prolonged illness, or childbirth. Many anticancer drugs cause temporary alopecia. The hair regrows when the underlying cause is corrected.

Localized alopecia may be due to permanent skin damage (for example, by burns or radiotherapy) or trauma to the hair roots by styling or, rarely, trichotillomania (a disorder in which sufferers pull out their hair). The most common type of localized hair loss is alopecia areata, which is an autoimmune disorder. There is no specific treatment, but the hair usually regrows within a few months. Alopecia universalis is a rare, permanent form of alopecia areata that causes loss of all the hair on the scalp and body, including the eyelashes and eyebrows. Skin diseases such as scalp ringworm (see tinea), lichen planus, lupus erythematosus, and skin tumours may also cause localized hair loss.

Treatments for male-pattern baldness include hair transplants or drug treatments with minoxidil or finasteride.... alopecia


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