Info > Trichotillomania & Compulsive Skin Picking

Trichotillomania (often shortened to trich) is the compulsive urge to pull out hair, leading to noticeable hair loss. People with trich may pull from their scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes or other parts of their body.

Compulsive skin picking (CSP) or dermatillomania is when someone picks at their own skin repeatedly, to the point of causing bleeding or skin damage.

Both trich and CSP can be considered as types of self-harm, as forms of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or as impulse control disorders.

They differ from self-injury in that the damage done to the body tends to be less severe, but the impact on someone's appearance can be devastating. Trich and CSP behaviours can be time-consuming and expensive. People with trich or CSP may pull or pick without realising they are doing it, which can make it very difficult to stop.

More information on trichotillomania and compulsive skin picking can be found from the links below.

Hair Pulling
A good introduction to trichotillomania.

Trichotillomania.co.uk
A very comprehensive website with information, self-help tips, forums and online support.

Compulsive Skin Picking
Information on CSP / dermatillomania.

Neovision (Dermatillomania)
Support and self-help tips.