Are Hair Transplants a Good Option for Trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania and Hair Transplants – this post is inspired by one of our clients who came to us a few weeks ago. Our client has trichotillomania, a compulsive disorder where a person pulls his or her own hair out from the scalp, and she was advised by a hair transplant doctor to have a hair transplant.

Read: Are You a Qualified Hair Transplant Candidate? Find Out Here

She proceeded with this advice (about 1000 hair grafts) while still struggling with trichotillomania. Today, she finds herself in an even worse position than she was before. Allow me to explain why.

A person may overcome trichotillomania, but in some cases, they may not. Often they may relapse into a pattern of hair pulling. No one can predict what will happen in the future, but we must plan for the future, especially when it comes to hair restoration procedures of surgical and permanent nature. So here are a few thoughts about trichotillomania and hair transplants:

1. Trichotillomania is a hair pulling condition in which the patient pulls his or her own hair out and causes their own hair loss.
2. Hair transplants are a process of surgically relocating and redistributing hair follicles into areas of thinness. In the case of a person suffering from trichotillomania, hair loss and thinning is caused by the patient’s own hands.
3. A person with trichotillomania cannot differentiate between their natural growing hair and the transplanted growing hair. If they are in a pattern of continued hair pulling, they will pull both the transplanted hair and naturally occurring hair. This will cause a double loss of hair: their own hair and the transplanted hair.
4. A hair transplant may cause additional hair loss or hair death to the existing hairs that are growing on the scalp. In a situation where the hair follicles are weakened as a result of hair pulling, the transplant may cause these fragile hairs to be traumatised and die. The result is the likelihood of further loss of natural growing hair.

In summary, it is never a good idea to transplant more hairs into an area where the patient may or will pull them out again. It does not make good sense – aesthetically, economically or psychologically. What would be our advice to someone with trichotillomania considering a hair transplant? AVOID IT.