Trichotillomania comes from two Greek words, "trich", which is pulling ‘mania', which is madness. The disease derived its name from these words, for it was thought to be associated with a kind of madness that urged one to pull out their own hair. With research it was however found that people who suffered from the condition were emotionally healthy, thus canceling out the chances of madness. Today, doctors now believe the condition is brought about by a sudden change of the chemical imbalance in the brain. The disorder leads to noticeable hair loss which can result in baldness. The condition is somehow more common in girls than boys.

The condition is thought to be triggered by anxiety and depression. Stress is another factor that is associated with this disorder, as stress does alter chemical balance in the brain as well. Some doctors have associated this mental disorder with addiction. They believe a person develops at infancy an urge to pull out their hair continuing with the behavior even to adulthood. Other researches have shown that persons suffering from Trichotillomania have decreased cerebellar volumes. Other findings were that some genes experienced mutations, particularly the SLITRK1 gene, as well as some serotonin 2A receptor genes. Even mice with mutations on the HOXB8 gene showed some abnormal behaviors, which also included hair pulling.

Since the disease is not yet fully understood, there is no specific treatment for it. Patients can however be given some sedatives including some behavioral change therapy. It is reported that this mental disorder can be controlled when the behavior is noticed early during infancy. At infancy, a child suffering from this condition will be trained how to divert his mind from hair pulling to concentrating on something else.

Persons with Trichotillomania can also be treated by introducing them to therapies that help reduce stress of the mind. Activities like sports, watching TV and going to the gym can control the chemical imbalance in the brain and reduce the onset of impulses to pull out hair.

When the impulse to pull out hair has been controlled, it is now time to treat the hair and get rid of the baldness caused by this mental disorder. Patients can be given some topical creams like minoxidil, Revivogen and procerin. Depending on the extent of the baldness, the period of treatment can last from a month to two or even three months. After this period, treatment for hair growth using drugs can be stopped and a different approach can be adopted. Hair growth can be maintained from supplementing the diet with essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins which can boost hair growth. Exercise is another way of controlling hair loss conditions the natural way which has no side effects or risks. Exercise also increases the body's resistance to pathogens, as it boosts immunity. So, not only will one promote hair growth using this method, but they will also be promoting longevity. So, why not follow this procedure and get rid of this disorder that causes cosmetic damage to your body?