Great Question on Hair Pulling..and a frequent concern for patients that I see in my office! The official name for it is "Trichotillomania" and it is a form of Obsessive -Compulsive disorder..as it becomes a ritual that one can't seem to stop and most commonly is pulling of hair on head, but many cases of eyelash and eyebrow pulling occur
and I have had several cases where people have pulled hair from their private areas and/or from their furry pets!
Don't despair, it is a neurochemical deficiency and HELP is available...get a referral to a Psychiatrist in your area so they can pick the correct medication for you and most likely they will refer you to a Psychologist as well..as we work hand in Hand as there are some behavioral techniques to help you stop that can be utilized....and medication generally eliminates70-80 % of the symptoms in my experience and then other 20% can be addressed with behavioral techniques..
Most frequent medications utilized herein are SSRI class, I.e. Zoloft, Prozac, Paxil, Luvox, Lexapro and Celexa...but there are other meds with serotonin properties and occasionally a different class med may be needed Or added..please let your psychiatrist guide you herein!
For continued picking and pulling a supplement, N-Acetyl Cysteine 600mg may be added and increased under a doctor's supervision....this has been an amazing pearl of wisdom I gleamed from Harvard Psychopharmacology colleagues at a lecture series little over a year ago!
And the NAC has made an additional amazing difference I might add! Again, consult your physician first and see a psychiatrist who can best guide you on treatments. Hope this is helpful in directing you to the help you need!
But please breathe a sigh of relief for HELP for HAIR PULLING is available!!!
