Chronic Hair Pulling Essay -- Trichotillomania

It has been two months since Makahla Rivers has pulled emerge her hair. In fact, thats the longest shes gone without pulling out her hair since she was 12 years old, she said. Rivers, a 19-year-old from Harrisville, Rhode Island who works in a local restaurant, has struggled with the impulse control disorder kn own as trichotillomania, the urge to pull out ones own hair. Trichotillomania, often referred to as trich or TTM, was first documented by the French dermatologist, Francois Henri Hallopeau over 100 years ago and derives from the Greek words, trich (hair), tillo (to pull) and mania (impulse). While lengthy medical research on this disorder has only been conducted within the past twenty years, it is estimated that or so 1.5% of males and 3.5% of females in the U.S. struggle with chronic hair pulling, according to the Trichotillomania scholarship Center Web site. It is believed that the majority of hair pulling starts during childhood or around adolescence. Hair is most commo nly pulled from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, pubic area and other areas much(prenominal) as the arms, legs or face. It is also common to start pulling in one area and then move onto other areas.Rivers said she started pulling around the age of 12 but it did not become an issue until she pulled out all of the hair from the top of her head at 15. I was at an practise convention with my mom, she said.We were staying at a hotel and we had done four exercise classes and I was jade but my mom was still rearing to go. So, I was like, Oh, Im just going to sit in the room and relax and take a nap. I was in the room, I was watching T.V., I was really tired and its almost like I was in a state of hypnosis. I didnt notice I was pulling out my... ... have the whole introduction inhabit about this disorder so they fanny do research about it, she said. There are a lot of other people out there that have this disorder that are going through the same thing that I went trough that probably d ont even know they have this disorder.Rivers is currently taking succession off from college to enjoy life and take everything into perspective. While she said she can return to college at any time and handle the stress that comes with it, she is content where she is right now and doesnt want to mess this up.Ive pretty much come to terms with it. I wouldnt change it. I really would not change it, she said. All the years of sufferingit has made me a stronger person. It has made me who I am and I cant regret that.Sources CitedTrichotillomania Learning Center. 2015http//www.trich.org/treatment/resources-articles.html