Trichotillomania (TTM), also known as hair-pulling disorder, is classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), as an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) characterized by recurrent pulling out of one’s hair to the point of hair loss. Individuals with TTM are unable to decrease or stop the behavior despite repeated attempts. The hair pulling must cause clinically significant distress or impairment in functioning and not be attributable to another medical condition or mental health disorder. This definition diverges from the DSM-IV definition, in which TTM was categorized as an impulse control disorder with noticeable hair loss, rising tension before pulling, and pleasure, relief, and gratification afterward as the required criteria. This entry discusses TTM and its associated distress and psychosocial impairment, as ...

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