Girl With Hair Pulling Disorder Finds New Life, Confidence

Source: The Pittsburgh Channel

PITTSBURGH -- Jennifer Clark says she tried staying inside all the time, embarrassed from a disorder that left her pulling her hair out one strand at a time.

Clark, 20, suffers from a Trichotillomania, an impulse control disorder characterized by a person's repeated urge to pull out their hair.

"Sometimes I think about how I want to stop, but I can't stop and I keep doing it and doing it and doing it, and I can't stop. I try to talk to my sister while I'm doing it and say 'Stop me, stop me, stop me,' but then I tell her don't," said Clark.

Clark didn't realize the severity of the problem until she was a junior in high school, when her hair became increasingly thinner, eventually leaving her bald.

When it grows back, she pulls it out again.

"At the beginning, I would just pull on the crown, but now my head is almost completely bald," said Clark.

Several causes, including genetic or neurological disorders, have been explored for the origin of the Trichotillomania.

It usually develops in adolescence and can be triggered by a stressful event.

Trichotillomania typically affects more women than men and may develop in people with emotional disorders such as depression.

Clark said she's not sure what triggered her, but said her grandmother had the disorder.

Clark told WTAE Channel 4 Action News anchor Michelle Wright that she experienced a traumatic event as a child, often hiding in her house.

She credits Debbie Manucuso, owner of Hair Enhancements of Pittsburgh, for helping to change her life.

"When a person loses their hair, they lose a piece of themselves. To be able to give somebody back something that they've lost that's so important for self-esteem, to feel good about yourself. It's really a great thing," said Mancuso.

Hair Enhancements of Pittsburgh is a division of Ladies Hospital Aid Society, a group that has helped more than 500 people who have experienced hair loss to afford a wig.

Clark said it gave her the confidence she needed to go to college, and wants to share her message with others suffering from Trichotillomania.

"It gives me more confidence. It's helped me meet people now. I don't feel nervous trying to talk to people anymore," said Clark. "We don't deserve to feel miserable or shameful or guilty," said Clark.

Nearly 2.5 million people in the United States will suffer from Trichotillomania at some point in their lives.