Trichotillomania and Hair Transplants
By Sara Wasserbauer | Published on August 16, 2010 | 0 Comments
Trichotillomania is a nervous condition where sufferers cannot resist the impulse to pull at their hair until it comes out. Those affected by this condition will often times find themselves tugging at the hair on the tops of their heads as well eyelash or eyebrow hair. Many who suffer from trichotillomania will come to pull out so much hair that they have bald spots on their heads, and this particular compulsion is one that can all too quickly grow to negatively impact one’s life.
Though it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of trichotillomania, many believe that the compulsion to start putting out hair is generally triggered by stress-ridden situations. Younger children, for example, will often start pulling out their hair when they learn that their parents are going through a divorce. While this condition can certainly be detrimental for people of all ages, the upside to childhood occurrences of trichotillomania is that such issues only tend to last for a limited period of time and will usually resolve themselves before long. Older people, however, tend to suffer with trichotillomania indefinitely.
Stress Taking its Toll
Though it’s natural for people to tug at their hair when they’re feeling nervous or jittery, trichotillomania takes this habit to a horrifying new extreme. When it comes to treatment for trichotillomania, the important thing for people to realize is that hair loss surgeons usually cannot offer much in the way of solutions. Just ask Dr. Sara Wasserbauer, a well-known hair transplant surgeon who runs her own hair restoration clinic just outside of San Francisco in Walnut Creek, California. A self-proclaimed borderline trichotillomaniac herself, Dr. Wasserbauer will be the first to admit that this particular habit is one that can come with some rather unfortunate cosmetic and health-related results.
Medical and Cosmetic Consequences
Trichotillomania can take more than just a cosmetic toll on those affected. Not having eyelashes, for example, can come with medical consequences as well, since the absence of lashes can expose the eyes to undue amounts of unhealthy debris. A lack of eyelashes can also make it difficult bordering on impossible for a person in need of vision correction to comfortably wear contact lenses.
Long-Term Effects
Many who suffer from trichotillomania don’t realize that hair that is yanked from the head will often times not grow back. In fact, Dr. Wasserbauer likes to relay the story of a patient of hers who came in with a sudden bald spot. The individual in question was a Wall Street professional who had a habit of tugging at the back of his head every time he found himself stressed – which, given the nature of his work, was somewhat frequent. Due to this unfortunate and unintentional inclination, the patient eventually ended up with a permanent bald spot despite the fact that the rest of his hair was seemingly strong and healthy.
Why Transplants Won’t Work
The problem with performing hair transplants to treat trichotillomania, says Dr. Wasserbauer, is that restorative surgery won’t be effective in addressing the root of the problem – the compulsion to pull at hair. Unless a patient’s condition is truly under control, giving him a hair transplant is somewhat akin to giving a drug addict a fresh new supply of heroin. Not only will a hair transplant under these circumstances constitute a tremendous waste of money, it will also likely result in additional scarring when the patient inevitably starts yanking at the recently treated area.
On the other hand, patients whose conditions are well-managed may have some luck by going the hair transplant route. The key, however, is to ensure that any patient seeking a hair transplant as treatment for trichotillomania first addresses the problem by getting the medical and psychological help he or she needs. Although treating trichotillomania is not Dr. Wasserbauer’s area of expertise, she believes that there are medications and specific types of therapy available to treat this condition. And once a person’s trichotillomania is clearly under control, Dr. Wasserbauer will be happy to discuss the possibility of proceeding with a hair transplant as a means of helping the patient in question truly complete his or her recovery.
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.