TRICHOPHAGIA IS A MENTAL DISORDER

Trichophagia is a mental disorder in which the person eats their own hair or the hair of someone else.  It comes from another disorder known as trichotillomania. This is when someone pulls out their hair obsessively. Over time, trichotillomania can turn into trichophagia. 5-20 percent of people who have trichotillomania also have trichophagia. People pull out and eat hair from all over their body, including head hair, facial hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, and pubic hair. This is a form of self-harm that many people with this disorder do unconsciously. 

               The causes of trichophagia are for the most part unclear. According to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research “trichophagia probably results from a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Also, abnormalities in the natural brain chemicals serotonin and dopamine may play a role in trichophagia.”  Until more research on trichophagia is completed, it will be very hard to find exact causes of this disorder. About 2-4 percent of the U.S. population has trichophagia. About 80 percent of reported cases are found to be women. This is because many women use hair pulling and eating as emotional comfort.  However, all hair eating begins in adolescence and develops over time.  Once trichophagia is fully developed, it is very hard to completely recover.