Trich Genetic?

Ohh sweet controversy. Is it genetic? Is it behavioural? Is it both?

There have been many discussions on whether or not genes play any role. Trich seems to be more prominent among those with chemical imbalances. The chemical imbalances themselves do not cause the hair pulling, but the chemical imbalances can cause other mental struggles (like anxiety) in which coping methods include hair pulling. (This also makes sense why we pull more when we are stressed).

Do nail biters have a defected gene too? No, they bite because of stress, or anxiety. Trichotillomania is not a disease or a disorder, it is a response to something else, and this "something else" can be a variety of things such as trauma, OCD and most commonly anxiety. The tricky part is that therapies for these other conditions are not as useful with trich. Why is this?

Because Trich is not a mental illness, thus it cannot be treated like one. Trich is the result of something else, and we have to figure out what this something else is in order to get help.

The likely culprit? Anxiety.


Works Cited: http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-trichotillomania.htm