Amy Schumer has spoken out about her struggle with Trichotillomania – a disorder which compels its sufferers to pull out their own hair.
People with trich, as the condition is more commonly referred to, pull the hair from their scalp or in other places, such as their eyebrows, eyelashes, genital area, beard or moustache.
Hair pulling can be a type of addiction in some people and can leave unusually-shaped bald patches.
Speaking to The New Yorker, the US actress, 41, who has a bald spot on the top of her head, opened up about her experience of trich.
Addressing her hair loss, Schumer quipped: “A yarmulke would cover it,” referencing the brimless cap traditionally worn by Jewish males.
Feelings of shame and low self-esteem are common among people with trich, which often prompts its sufferers to keep their condition to themselves – and the Trainwreck star is no different.
“The vulnerability of people knowing I pull my hair out, it feels very raw to me. . . . It’s, you know, bald spots,” she said.
“It’s, like, that’s what a monster and a goblin have.”
According to the NHS, people with trich “feel an intense urge to pull their hair out and they experience growing tension until they do.”
Indeed, patients find the act of pulling out their hair can elicit a sense of relief.
Health professionals are still not clear on what causes trich, though a chemical imbalance in the brain similar to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), changes in hormone levels during puberty, and a response to stress or anxiety have been cited as potential triggers.
The health service advises those who pull out their hair or parents who notice their child engaging in the behaviour to visit their GP.
Trich is commonly treated using a type of CBT called habit reversal training, which aims to help people replace a bad habit with something that’s not harmful.
The NHS and the charity Trichotillomania Support both have information on treatments and self-help advice.
