In a nutshell.............
What is Trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania is a chronic disorder that causes an uncontrollable urge to pull out one’s own hair, to the point of noticeable hairloss, causing considerable trauma to the sufferer. Even though this disorder was already identified in the early 1800’s, many people have difficulty locating correct information about the disorder, and adequate help is still non-existent for most people.
Who are affected by trichotillomania?
Men, woman and children of all ages, intelligence, race groups and cultures are affected. In this document I will refer to the sufferer as her, although many men are affected as well.
How many people are affected?
It is estimated that more people suffer from trichotillomania than from diabetes, so the numbers are vast. At least 4% of the population suffer from trichotillomania, yet it is still a ‘hidden’ disorder, because of the lack of information on it, and the guilt and shame that trichsters suffer because of this.
Why have I never heard of this before?
Most trichsters will go to extreme lengths to hide their hairpulling, with the result that they may literally suffer for decades, without ever reaching out for help. Most sufferers believe that they are crazy and the only person in the world pulling out their hair, with the result that they are too ashamed to look for help.
What causes trichotillomania?
Nobody knows for sure yet. The best explanation thus far is that it is a chemical imbalance. It is something like diabetes - you get born with it, at some stage (normally puberty), it gets activated and after that it is a chronic disorder.
How can I explain how the urges feel?
Imagine a fly walking over your lips - everything in you tells you to wave the fly away. To resist that impulse, is almost impossible. It is the same with the urge to pull out your hair.
What are the consequences of trichotillomania?
Because of the trauma of trich, sufferers most often suffer from depression. They most often cannot form stable relationships, have a very weak self image, suffer incredible trauma, shame and guilt, which can also lead to a decrease in work and school performance. Because of the lack of information, family members are often affected adversely because it is believed (incorrectly) that parents and stress are the cause of the hairpulling.
Where do people pull from?
Mostly head, eyebrows and eyelashes, but also from any hair on the body, i.e. legs, pubic etc. Some people also pull from animals, dolls, carpets and other people.
When do people pull?
The most difficult times for trichsters are while reading, studying, watching television, driving and speaking on the phone. Stress increases (not causes) pulling, but so does times of relaxation.
Common characteristics
Many or even most trichsters:
| Have itching heads |
| Seek for the coarse, kinky and/or grey hair that does not fit in or does not belong there. |
| Have a fascination with the roots |
| Go in a trance when pulling and cannot get out of it easily. |
| Will lie to hide their pulling behaviour |
Myths about trich
| Caused by stress, depression, overpowering mothers, sexual molestation, divorce of parents etc. |
| It is a habit that can be stopped at free will. |
| Pubic pulling has a sexual connection. |
| It is sin and is caused by demonic powers. |
| Punishing, spanking, screaming etc. will stop the behaviour. |
| Medicines are a magic cure. |
| Hair is pulled because the trichster hates herself, wants to self mutilate, doesn’t like her hair or doesn’t want hair. |
| She doesn’t want to stop - she likes it. |
None of the above is true.
What can I do to help myself?
| Learn all you can about the disorder. Information is power. "The truth shall set you free". Make use of the video’s, audio’s and especially Internet. |
| Accept the reality of the disorder- however difficult it is. |
| Increase your awareness of your pulling. Keep a diary |
 | First just keep track of your pulling - times, emotions, how many, where, what were you doing when pulling etc. |
| Find patterns and plot them - find where are your most difficult times/places/emotions etc. |
What can I do to help her/him?
| Give control to the trichster - it is her hair and life, not yours! |
| Ask her what she wants you to do to help her and if she wants you to help her. |
| Listen to what she asks you to do. |
| Give unconditional love and sympathy. Try to understand and be supportive in a non-critical way |
| Help her to stay busy |
| Never say: Just stop! |
| Never slap her hand! |
| Putting pressure on her to stop pulling, will cause more stress, aggravating the problem. Stay out of it! |
| Remember the fly analogy - put yourself in her shoes |
| Make resources available to her - money for support, books, audiotapes, Internet etc. |
| Let her talk - listen to her, but don’t force her to talk. |
| Realize that some people are just not ready yet to fight this disorder. Leave her alone until she is ready. Let her make her own decisions. |
| Learn all you can about the disorder, to enable you to understand and support her. |
| Remind her that it is not her fault and that she is not crazy. |
| Look at what is important - through your own methods, you may save a few hairs, but you may damage the relationship with your loved one and lose her trust. Is it worth it? |
Remember! You are the victim of a very difficult disorder. You are not the guilty party!
Warning: Trichobezoars
Many trichsters will bite off the roots or the hair and swallow it. Please be warned that these hairs will not digest and could cause a hairball in the stomach. If you show symptoms like stomach pain, loss of appetite or weight loss, please consult your doctor immediately. This hairball could cause death in severe cases. Please be careful!
The John Kender Diet
Professor John Kender, a trichotillomania suffer for many years, discovered 7 years ago that certain foods caused him to have urges to pull out his hair. He has done much research since then and the result is the John Kender diet for trichotillomania sufferers.
The hypothesis is that some trichsters are allergic/intolerant to the malassezia yeast, which causes the urges to pull. The basic principle of the diet is to avoid the foods that cause these urges.
The foods to avoid are: (in order of importance)
| Sugar (all sucrose, glucose, honey, molasses etc. Fructose (fruit sugar) seems to be tolerated better but should be used sparingly - it is not a sucrose replacement. |
| Caffeine (also in Tea and Diet Coke - use Rooibos and Tab) |
| Eggs |
| Nuts (especially peanuts) |
| Legumes (peas, beans, lentils etc.) |
| Seafood (except fish (but no salmon)) |
| Soy |
| Dates and raisins (very high in fructose) |
Some people are also sensitive to:
| Aspartame |
| Liver and kidneys |
| Tomatoes (esp. the pips, i.e. pesto, salsa etc.) |
Helpful tips
| Eat unsweetened yogurt - good for the diet and helps when you have urges for sweets |
| Learn to substitute, i.e. |
| Caffeine free coffee |
| Sucrose free diabetic chocolates |
| Dried fruit for snacks |
| Diabetic ice-cream, jelly, pudding |
| Unsweetened fruit juices, also Polar Ice etc. |
| Eat at least one banana a day - the potassium in it helps against the urges |
| Eat fruit (be careful of grapes and watermelon, which has a high amount of fructose in it) |
| Ask for diabetic foods, not for diet foods. Diet foods are often low fat, instead of sugar free. |
| Use Natreen liquid to cook with. |
Important to know
| You need to give the diet at least 6 - 8 weeks to work. |
| Sugar and caffeine shows and effect within a day, the others take 3-5 days. |
| If the bad food is on no.5 or later on the list of ingredients, it should not affect you. |
| You need to clean out your reserves of ‘bad foods’ and that takes at least 6 weeks. Be patient! |
| The JK diet will not cure you from trich. It can only assist you in controlling the urges. |
| It is not a quick solution to this difficult problem. |
| Doesn’t work for all trichsters (unfortunately). |
| Each person is unique and you will have to experiment with what works for you. |
Regardless of the above….
Please try it! If you don’t try it, you will never know if it will work for you. It may be the answer that you’ve been waiting for, for years. It has dramatically changed many people’s lives.