Hair Pulling Disease
July 15, 2009 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Women's Health
About two to four percent of the population suffers from a desire to pull out one’s own hair. This disease, called Trichotillomania, targets women and usually begins in childhood. Women who suffer from this disease can make themselves half bald, and then deal with other issues such as social and nervous disorders.
However, new research showed that patients who “took an antioxidant called N-acetylcysteine, sold over the counter at vitamin stores, had significant improvement over patients who took placebos.” Researchers are also trying to figure out how to classify the disease. Some feel it is “related to obsessive compulsive disorder, but others liken it to addictions or impulse control disorders.” More research is required, but the fact that an over the counter vitamin could help with this disease is extremely exciting.
Image: sxc.hu.
This really is exciting news. My nine-year-old daughter has picked her eyelashes since she was six, and many times over the last three years she’s had no eyelashes. For her it leans more toward an impulse control issue. It’s hard for her and us, and even her ped has no advice. Do you think the vitamin would be ok for a child to take?
Hi Heather,
Thanks for sharing your story. It really is a curious disease, isn’t it? A girl I know has it and her ped believes it’s an addiction. I think it probably depends on the person.
To answer your question about the vitamin, I’d ask your doctor to be sure.
Heather, if you want to read more, here’s a link to the press release about the study:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2009-07/jaaj-aam070209.php
I’ve had it bookmarked flirting with the idea of writing about it until Cherie beat me to it ; )