Hair Transplant and Trichotillomania

Hair is often pulled out, resulting in permanent loss of the affected hair follicles. Even if the patient stops pulling their hair, the hair does not regrow naturally. Treatments for regrowth in affected areas are ineffective. The only solution to restore the area affected by trichotillomania or baldness is a hair transplant.

The subject feels intense excitement before acting, but once the act is accomplished, they are overwhelmed by anxiety and guilt. Trichotillomania can be caused by:

Patients may be unaware of their problem or may deliberately try to conceal it, at least until they notice abnormal and visible hair loss or shedding in specific areas of their body. Therefore, diagnosis is not always immediate. If the patient refuses to admit to pulling their hair, it is important to consider other disorders that might present symptoms similar to trichotillomania. Possibilities to consider include alopecia areata, tinea capitis, traction alopecia, discoid lupus erythematosus, folliculitis, and loose anagen syndrome.

The doctor performs a meticulous evaluation of the skin, hair, and scalp to determine the extent and frequency of the disorder. They may also perform a biopsy to look for other possible causes of hair loss or the urge to pull hair. This procedure may reveal damaged hair follicles with bleeding around them, broken hairs in the dermis, and deformed hair shafts. In children, an alternative method to biopsy may be to shave a portion of the affected area and observe the regrowth of normal hair. In the case of trichotillomania, the "pull test" of the hair is revealing.

Unfortunately, there are no specific therapies available to combat trichotillomania. However, it is crucial to act and address the root of the psychological disorder by addressing the discomfort and improving the patient's anxiety and stress levels.

The psychotherapist's mission will be to guide the patient to replace their negative thoughts and build a tailor-made plan with them. Through a cognitive-behavioral approach, the expert will work to transform the habits of the trichotillomaniac by developing an analysis program to identify the triggers of the disease and thus stop the process leading to hair pulling.

To promote hair regrowth in people with trichotillomania, various factors must be considered, such as the stage of alopecia and the damage caused to the hair follicles. While hair regrowth doesn't always occur spontaneously, solutions exist to stimulate this growth. It is therefore recommended to consult a trichology specialist to determine the best treatment to follow. Mesotherapy treatments prove very effective, as they naturally nourish and stimulate the activity of the hair bulbs.

To restore a full head of hair, a trichology expert may recommend a hair autograft using the FUE technique. Also known as a modern trichological method, it allows for the direct extraction of follicular units from the densest areas of the scalp to be implanted in the balding areas. To maximize results, it's crucial to adopt gentle hair products that nourish and revitalize both hair and scalp. By doing so, hair loss and skin inflammation are prevented.