Trichotillomania For Children

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Trichotillomania For Children


 
 


Trichotillomania is the compulsion to pull out one's own hair. It results in irregular patches of incomplete hair loss, mainly on the scalp, but may involve the eyebrows and eyelashes as well. The habit of pulling out one's hair is usually practiced in bed before falling asleep or when the child is studying or watching television. Interestingly, parents are usually not aware of the habit and frequently find it hard to believe that their child would do such a thing. Affected areas of hair loss often appear on the left side of right-handed children and on the right side of left-handed youngsters. Most cases of trichotillomania resolve spontaneously. Diagnosis of this type of alopecia can be done in the convenience of your own home, by closely evaluating your child to see if they have this habit. The cause of this type of condition many times is related to stress, long term ongoing tension or other possible psychological or emotional deficiencies. The best treatment is to ignore the hair pulling and concentrate on why the child is anxious, nervous or frustrated.