Trichophagia

Trichophagia is a mental health disorder that causes you to eat hair.

If you have long hair, you may find yourself nibbling on the ends of it when you’re bored, but you stop when you realize what you’re doing.

If you have trichophagia, you may feel like you can’t control the impulse. People with this condition have an urge to eat their hair, hair from other sources like a wig, hair extensions or hair from a hairbrush.

Very rarely, people with trichophagia develop hairballs (trichobezoars) in their stomach. A hairball in your stomach can keep food from moving through your digestive system.

Symptoms of trichophagia

Eating your hair may be the only symptom. You may have the following symptoms if hair in your stomach forms a trichobezoar. Symptoms may include:

• Abdominal (belly) pain
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Indigestion
• Feeling full after eating small amounts of food (satiety).

Trichophagia causes

Trichophagia is a type of pica. Pica is a mental health condition where you have the urge to eat non-food items like hair. Experts don’t know all the reasons why this happens. They do link trichophagia with the following conditions:

• Anorexia nervosa
• Anxiety disorders
• Depression

Experts also see a connection between trichophagia and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People with trichophagia often feel a strong urge to eat hair, even if they don’t want to. In OCD, you feel stuck in certain thoughts or habits that you can’t control. For example, you repeatedly wash your hands. Doing that helps you cope with anxiety and stress. Likewise, eating hair may be a way for you to manage stress.

Complications

You may feel embarrassed or self-conscious if people notice you eating hair. Those feelings may make you less willing to spend time with others.

People with this condition often also have trichotillomania, a mental health condition where they pull their hair out. Pulling your hair out and eating it can cause Rapunzel syndrome.

Rapunzel syndrome is a very rare disorder where the hair you eat mixes with mucus and food to make a trichobezoar that fills your stomach and small intestine.

How doctors diagnose trichophagia

A healthcare provider will do a physical examination. They’ll ask about your symptoms and medical history. They may ask if you’re receiving treatment for certain mental health conditions.

Your provider may do the following tests to see if there’s a trichobezoar in your stomach:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• Computed tomography (CT) scan
• Upper endoscopy

How is trichophagia treated?

Your treatment will depend on your situation. Rarely, people with trichophagia have a trichobezoar in their stomach. If that happens, your healthcare provider may recommend procedures, including surgery or an endoscopy, to remove it. If you don’t have a hairball, your provider may recommend medication and mental health therapy. These treatments may help you manage the urge to eat hair.

Different mental health issues may increase your risk for trichophagia. If you have a specific mental health issue, your provider will prescribe medication for it. They may also recommend cognitive behavioral therapy.

Can this condition be cured?

Your healthcare provider may not be able to cure trichophagia. But medication and therapy can help you manage it. For example, your provider can help you understand what drives the urge to eat your hair. They’ll also suggest strategies to help you resist that urge. For example, they may recommend coping tips like:

• Practicing mindfulness to notice urges without acting on them
• Tracking your urges and triggers in a journal
• Joining online or in-person support groups

When should I see my healthcare provider?

Talk to your healthcare provider if treatment doesn’t ease your urge to eat hair. You may need different medication or other treatment.

What can I expect if I have trichophagia?

People have different experiences with trichophagia. In general, you may need medical support for the rest of your life so you can manage the urge to eat hair. Your healthcare provider will plan treatment around your situation. They’re your best resource for information about what you can expect.