DAP Medical

Have you ever bit your nails or shook your legs constantly when you're nervous or concentrating?

For some people this could just be a nervous habit but for others, it's more than a nervous habit. It becomes a obsessive compulsive disorder. This is called Trichotillomania or TTM.

TTM is the constant urge to pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows or other parts of the body. Constant hair pulling from the scalp results in patches.

Trichotillomania can be challenging but there is treatment & support. Here are 5 ways to cope with the urge to pull out hair:

✨ Activity replacement: use a stress ball when you have the urge to pull hair.
✨ Create barriers: wear gloves, scarves or bonnets to physically prevent pulling & as a reminder if you have the urge.
✨ Relaxation techniques: practice yoga, meditation or deep breathing to reduce anxiety or other triggers to pull hair.
✨ Set goals & monitor progress: keep a journal to track triggers & record your progress.
✨ Therapy: working with a therapist can provide support & help develop personalized strategies to deal with hair pulling impulses.