Research into treatment for Trichotillomania has grown steadily over the past ten years. Although there is no treatment that is more effective than the other, with people reacting to treatment differently, a number of those treatment options have shown promise to people with TTM.
These treatments include cognitive behaviour therapy, pharmaceutical therapy, support groups, and alternative therapy.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a form of therapy that seeks to alter a Trich sufferer's behaviour by identifying the precise factors that trigger their hair-pulling and teaches those who suffer from it learning skills to interrupt and redirect responses to those triggers. Dr Neomie Da Costa, a therapist specialising in Trichotillomania and a sufferer herself who has been ‘pull-free’ for three years believes strongly in the therapy. She has used it herself, and beaten TTM because of it. “Cognitive behaviour therapy encourages hair-pullers to develop an increased awareness of the time of day it occurs, their emotional states, and other factors that might promote hair pulling. It’s an important precursor in being able to control the Trich sufferer’s behaviour,” she says.
Some hair-pullers have success with simple behavioural devices such as putting bandages on their fingers to interfere with pulling, keeping records of their hair pulling, or changing environmental cues that can trigger pulling.
Cognitive behavioural therapy is a fairly popular way to beat Trichotillomania, and it means that Trich sufferers are not being pressured to take medication for their condition.
A number of medications have, however, shown promise in reducing the severity of TTM symptoms. Unfortunately most of them fall under the category of selective serotinin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), the most common being Prozac.
Dr Da Costa believes, however, that this can be a dangerous way to deal with TTM, and underlines that the effectiveness of these drugs for hair-pulling is not always successful.
“Only a small percentage of people find that these drugs stop hair-pulling completely, while others feel no effect at all. Another problem is that taken for a long period of time these drugs can become an addiction.”
Another alternative to beating Trichotillomania is with support groups. Many hair-pullers not only feel shame at what they are doing, but feel alone. Hiding their condition can make it harder to focus on ways to reduce pulling and even beating it. Joining a support group can help them to erase shame and makes people with Trichotillomania feel ‘normal’ again. Many of the support groups are online, as it adds an anonymity to those who wish it and gives Trich sufferers a sense of comfort in being able to talk to others from their own personal space.
Article comments
1 - Anonymous
Thank you for this article. I have suffered with TTM since I was 3 years old, focused on my eyebrows and lashes, but I didn't know that it had a name, or that other people suffered this until I was 25. All of the shame and embarrassment you described are completely accurate.
2 - jmac76
there are definitely people out there and a few good websites, which are worth checking out. It was a personal article for me, as I also suffer from it so know the extent of how horrible it can be and the shame stigma.
3 - Leef Smith
Thank you for this excellent and informed article!
I would only add a note about all the amazing work that the Trichotillomania Learning Center does in helping to promote awareness around trich, advocate for research, and work toward ending the suffers of millions of people with trichotillomania
4 - Sarah
excellent article!
i'd just like to point out that SSRIs are NOT addictive(see Dr. Da Costa's comment).
however, you are correct in stating that they've been shown to have minimal effectiveness with hair-pulling behavior. SSRIs HAVE been shown to help a LOT with depression and anxiety.
right now, the best treatment that we know about for TTM is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
5 - iamrj
Good article. I enjoy reading it. I just wrote an article about alopecia (hair loss) and, while researching it, I ran across a comprehensive survey of Trichotillomania research. The information was compiled by Manjit Kaur Ubhi, who uses hypnotherapy, neuro-linguistic programming and cognitive behavioral techniques in her work with hair pullers. Her very informative survey is available online. Anyone wanting to delve deeply into sociopsychological aspects hair pulling should check out Manjit Kaur Ubhi's work.
6 - Tonia
I have just realized I have TTM, I can remember pulling out hair one strand at a time when I was a teen and even younger. But it has just reared it's ugly head just before my daughters wedding. Mine is a little different. I pull out my husbands facial hair. Has anyone else heard of this?
7 - kml
wow-i have had ttm since age 10..i am now almost 20 years old and i haven't been able to stop. it is true that medications don't really have the affect said intended..i have tried various medications with no luck. the embarassment and harassment of society makes having this illness even more unbareable. i have never personally met anyone with the same thoughts as mine...towards trich..i wish i could know why i started doing this..what triggered it..ttm has seriusly mad a HUGE IMPACT ON MY entire life...i can not picture my life without it.. it has sketched me out to be this person i am.. and i am fully ashamed of it. i would do anything to be able to stop..anything
8 - cc
i am 24 years old and have been pulling out my eye lashes since i was 12. recently i moved back to my home town a couple years ago back in with my divorced parents and i started pulling severely more and started using more drugs and drinking more. i guess i have family issues. i got treatment for my alcohol and drug problem and have been clean for 6 mnths now. i still have this trichotillomania problem tho i have to learn to deal with. i dont know how but i refuse to take ssris's. i generally pull n play with my eye lashes while driving in the car, watching tv or on the computer reading something. it's hard. i guess it's anxiety
9 - im worried
I am a 16 year old boy and i think i have this.
I just twirl my hair all the time. The area between my ear and forhead.
I have pulled out so much of my hair, im really worried... im already depressed and suicidal, this is crossing the line.
10 - Cindy
Hey there im worried. Do you have someone to talk to in person or on the phone right now? Can you call a friend?
11 - Cindy
im worried,
Here is a place online you can go, no matter where you live or what time it is. They don't tell you what to do or judge you, they just listen.