Are there different types of trichotillamania?

Question

I have heard of tricho sufferers who eat their hair after pulling it out. However, I only pull the hair (one by one) from my head and only if the texture is rough or different from the rest. And I do not eat it. Is this still tricho and if not what is it?

Answer 1

Do you pull them out because you need to? If you are already running late for work would you be an extra hour late because you noticed one of these hairs which made you need to look for more and you had to pull them all out?

Trichotillamania is a compulsion. It usually does not include a need to eat the hair. That'd be a seperate compulsion or pica. A compulsion is an irrational behaviour that one needs to complete before moving on to any other action.

What you describe seems more rational. You don't like or, even, find interesting hairs of a certain texture. You pull them out. I do that with grey hairs for both reasons. I might even be a few minutes late to work for it. It's a distraction. It is not a compulsion. I can realize I've let this concern take up too much of my time and stop it. I can go through the rest of my day without the majority of my focus being taken up with a grey hair I did not pull out.

If you are not sure if yours is a compulsion, if it is a compulsion, or if you feel a strong desire to have it be described as a compulsion or to be labeled with trichotillamania then talk to a professional in the field of psychology. This person will be able to give you a difinitive diagnosis or let you know your behaviour is perfectly normal

Answer 2

There are not different types of trichotillomania, while alot of hair pullers do eat the "root" or whole hair it varies between different people. It is a very personalized disorder and everyone has their own rituals for choosing what hair, how many they pull out at a time, and how they choose to dispose of them.

Answer 3

I pull out my eyelashes & used to pull out my eyebrows & as a kid I used to pull out my hair.