compulsive hair pulling

Compulsive hair pulling is a disorder in which a person has an uncontrollable urge to pull their hair out. Individuals with hair pulling compulsion will have an irresistible, uncontrollable urge to pull their hair out; regardless of if they are aware of the potential harm pulling out their hair could cause them. When an individual is having the thought of pulling out their hair, it is all encompassing and extremely enticing. After an individual pulls out a stand of hair, they experience a huge sense of relief immediately following the hair pulling. This relief is very temporary and a person will continue to have a multiple compulsions in one sitting to pull out hair, resulting in extreme hair loss.

Compulsions in Relation to Other Disorders

Compulsions encompass a variety of mental disorders, most commonly OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder. In OCD an individual will obsess over something, usually cleanliness, and have corresponding compulsions such as excessive hand washing in response to their obsessions. In hair pulling compulsions, an individual will not have obsessions, just the compulsion to pull out hair. These compulsions are similar to OCD compulsions in that they are described as irresistible and provide a sense of relief.

Compulsions and Emotions

Hair pulling compulsions occur as a response to anxiety or depression, and are a way to relieve unwanted emotions. The compulsion of hair pulling provides relief from these feelings of depression or sadness and is very difficult to resist, as they become a sufferers main self-soothing mechanism. Hair pulling compulsions have a high co-morbidity with other compulsive disorders such as OCD or Tourette’s disorder, where compulsions or tics are irresistible.
Compulsive hair pulling, along with OCD and other corresponding compulsive disorders can be mainly attributed to an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. Anti-depressant therapy along with psychotherapy can help diminish or even extinguish the compulsion to pull one’s hair out.