‘Can You Regrow Hair After Recovering From Trichotillomania?'

Linda

Question: I suffer from noticeable hair loss due to pulling my hair out since I was 12 or 13. I have been in behavior health therapy off and on since I was in my 30’s. I have since stopped pulling for 22 years but my hair did not all grow back. I do keep my hair short due to this and get it styles in a way that my hair loss is not as noticeable but I am self-conscious of this and want to know if there is any hope of me getting hair regrowth in my thinking areas. Thanks for any help with this.

Answer: Hi, Linda. Whether or not your hair loss is permanent depends on the follicles in the affected areas.

The twisting and pulling of the hair that it symptomatic of trichotillomania can damage the hair follicles - sometimes leading to permanent hair loss. If your hair has not grown back naturally in the 22 years that you have been pull-free it is likely that some of your follicles have been destroyed. Unfortunately this would mean permanent hairloss in those areas.

Whilst the period of time that has elapsed without new hair growth suggests a permanent issue, we cannot confirm this 100% without examining you. So, to be certain, we recommend you have a consultation - ideally in person but you could also complete an online consultation which allows you to upload photos in order to help our specialists with their assessment.

If it looks as if there is thin hair being produced rather than smooth scalp skin being visible, this can indicate active follicles. In this instance it may be possible to see some improvements from a bespoke hair loss treatment course. A specialist will be able to give you a realistic assessment of your chances of achieving new hair growth once they have properly examined your scalp and can make recommendations accordingly if treatment is a viable option.