Woman Has Been Pulling Her Own Hair Out For More Than 20 Years Due To Rare Condition, Trichotillomania | HuffPost Life

Woman Pulls Out Own Hair Due To Rare Condition, Trichotillomania

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A women has told of how more than two decades of compulsively pulling out her hair, eyebrows and eyelashes has left her too self-conscious to leave the house.

Jenna Kitchen, 29, has battled trichotillomania – a condition whereby sufferers are unable to control the impulse to pull out their own hair – since she was just seven years old.

Over the years, she has plucked out her eyelashes and eyebrows, leaving her confidence in tatters.

Then, after the birth of her daughter Madison in March 2012, she sunk into a deep postnatal depression and began to pull out her hair as well, leaving her with a large bald patch.

"It’s just gotten out of control," said Kitchen, of Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire.

"I would just like to feel a bit more normal. I don’t see any of my friends. I rarely leave the house apart from the school run. I’m just too self-conscious and I’ve had enough."

Kitchen has struggled with trichotillomania since she was a child, but said it is currently the worst it’s ever been.

Her downward spiral began after she became a mother three years ago and suffered severe postnatal depression and anxiety.

At her lowest ebb, she could not even bare to be in the same room as her daughter Madison and partner, 35-year-old Chris.

Four weeks after giving birth, she sought help and was placed on a course of antidepressants.

But sadly, they did little to stop her compulsion to pull out her hair.

Jenna Kitchen before trichotillomania left her with bald patches

"With my face, you can hide the lack of hair with makeup. I’ll pencil in my eyebrows and wear heavy eyeliner and eyeshadow so the fact that I don’t have eyelashes isn’t immediately noticeable," she said.

"But with my hair, it’s gotten that bad that I don’t leave the house without a cap on."

Currently, Kitchen is working with a counsellor to try and determine the trigger of her trichotillomania.

She is keeping a diary of the dates and times she pulls her hair, and what sort of mood she is in when she does it.

"It doesn’t hurt when I pull it out," she said. "It’s difficult to explain. It’s more a feeling of relief.

"I do it without thinking, just absent-mindedly while I’m sitting watching TV or something."

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Kitchen is now putting together a string of fundraisers to help gather the money needed for a custom made wig.

It will be fitted especially to cover her bald patch and designed to blend in with her natural hair.

As it’s made of real hair, she can wash, style and dye it as she pleases, giving her own hair a chance to grow underneath.

She has set up a GoFundMe page called 'Trichotillomania Treatment Funding’ to help with the costs.

Currently, more than £500 has been raised in a matter of days.

Kitchen has also taken the steps to reach out to other sufferers via online support groups.

"I spent years feeling alone. Ever since I was a child, I thought I was the only person in the world like this, so it’s a relief to find people who understand," she said.

"I just don’t want this to affect Madison. I don’t want her to be bullied or anything because of me, so it’s time to get some help."

Kelsea Little, Media Director at GoFundMe.com said: "Jemma is just one of thousands of campaign organisers across the UK who trust GoFundMe to help them raise money for the things that matter to them most.

"It is encouraging to see that over £500 has been raised in such a short amount of time through the support of friends, family and loved ones."

To help Jenna, please visit gofundme.com/jennakitchen.

11 Causes Of Hair Loss

Trichotillomania(01 of11)

Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder. Although the underlying causes for this disorder are not concretely understood, its most obvious symptom is the urge to break or pull out one's own hair. Individuals that have trichotillomania cannot control these urges and often pull out entire patches of their hair -- often from the scalp or eyebrows. The disorder is fairly rare -- 4 percent of people in the U.S. are affected by it -- although men are less likely to experience these urges than women are. (credit:Thinkstock)

Hair Care(02 of11)

Are you a hair dye junkie or someone who consistently flat irons? You could be damaging your hair with these hair care practices. Both excessive use of hair treatments (i.e. bleaching, perms, relaxers) and products (i.e. blow dryers, straighteners and curling irons) can make hair brittle. Luckily, these types of hair damage are not permanent -- change the bad-for-your-hair habit and your hair should restore itself! (credit:Thinkstock)

Tight Hairstyles(03 of11)

Over time, men and women who consistently wear their hair in styles that pull at the scalp (i.e. tight braids, weaves, tight ponytails) may develop a condition termed "traction alopecia." According to Dr. Alexis, traction alopecia is a hair loss condition that is seen far more often in women than men. A couple of the experts we spoke to also said that in their practices they most often saw traction alopecia in African-American and Hispanic women -- although the condition spans all ethnic groups. Chris Rock's 2009 documentary film, "Good Hair," addressed some of these issues as they effect the African-American community. "Women put up with a lot of pain," Dr. Cotsarelis told The Huffington Post. "Pain to your scalp should be avoided." Sounds like a good rule of thumb to us! (credit:Thinkstock)

Nutritional Deficiencies(04 of11)

Iron and protein deficiencies are two of the most common nutritional triggers for hair loss. If individuals have low levels of iron -- even if they are not anemic -- hair loss may occur. An article published in the May 2006 edition of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology concluded that hair loss treatment was made more effective when a patient's iron deficiency was treated. Dr. Cotsarelis says that he consistenly checks the iron levels of any patient that comes to him experiencing hair loss. However, the exact reason behind this correlation has not been proven.Protein deficiency is more straightforward. Hair growth requires protein, and when the body is not getting enough, it moves these protein supplies to other, more necessary functions. Once an individual's diet is adjusted hair growth usually returns to normal within a couple months.While not a deficiency, for those that have Celiac Disease or gluten-sensitivity, the introduction of the gluten protein into the system may also lead to hair thinning or loss. In this case, it is the immune system that attacks hair growth. (credit:Thinkstock)

Major Weight Loss(05 of11)

Although this trigger technically falls under nutritional deficiencies, we felt that it warranted specific attention. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, individuals who lose 15 or more pounds (even through healthy means) often experience some amount of hair loss. This type of hair loss usually self-corrects without any need for treatment.More concerning is hair loss as a result of an eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia. These eating disorders do not allow the body to receive the necessary vitamins, minerals and protein that it needs to function healthfully -- which in turn can shut down hair growth. "Anorexics can have very extreme hair loss," says Dr. Cotsarelis. "I had a patient in her 20s who was anorexic -- her hair was just coming out in gobs because of poor protein intake."

Thyroid Disease(06 of11)

Hair loss is a common symptom of an imbalance in one's thyroid hormones. Both hypothryoidism (an underactive thyroid) or hyperthyroidism (an overactive thyroid) can lead to excessive hair shedding. Once the thyroid imbalance is treated, the hair generally regrows. (credit:Getty)

Menopause(07 of11)

Doctors still are unsure what the scientific connection is between menopause and hair thinning -- but many women, in their perimenopausal years, experience some sort of generalized hair loss. Some combination of hormonal changes are likely at play. "We don't really understand exactly why, but it's pretty clear [that there is a connection]," says Dr. Cotsarelis. "[Many] women have very thick hair their whole life and then when they go through menopause, they [experience] thinning." (credit:Thinkstock)

Alopecia Areata(08 of11)

When we hear talk of "alopecia," most likely what is being referred to is alopecia areata. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disease, which means that the body attacks itself. Alopecia areata is usually characterized by hair loss in round patches on the scalp or other parts of the body and affects men, women and children. (credit:Flickr: Urban Aquarium Video and Light)

Trauma/Stress(09 of11)

Telogen effluvium is defined by Dr. McMichael as "shedding due to physiologic stress." McMichael told The Huffington Post that a traumatic or particularly stressful event is a common reason that individuals experience this type of hair loss (even more so for women than men). The most common emotional causes of telogen effluvium are life-altering occurrences such as a death or going through a divorce. These events can cause hair to be forced into the resting state before they normally would be.According to Dr. Cotsarelis, this type of hair shedding often does not show up until two to four months after the trigger occurs. (credit:Thinkstock)

Illness(10 of11)

Illness is another possible cause of telogen effluvium -- most often triggered by a high fever. The stress on the body that illness causes can become a disruption to the hair cycle. Once the illness is gone, the cycle gets itself back on track. (credit:Thinkstock)

Medications(11 of11)

Many medications have hair loss listed as a possible side effect, although various types tend to affect each person differently. Medications that contain hormones -- such as the birth control pill are common hair loss culprits. According to Mayo Clinic, antidepressants, blood pressure medications and arthritis treatments are also frequent offenders. (credit:Thinkstock)

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