Trichophagia

Trichophagia is a form of disordered eating in which persons with the disorder suck on, chew, swallow, or otherwise eat hair. It is considered a chronic psychiatric disorder of impulse control. It belongs to a subset of pica disorders and is often associated with trichotillomania, the compulsive pulling out of ones own hair. Extreme cases have been reported in which patients consume hair found in the surrounding environment, including other people's and animals' hair. In an even smaller subset of people with tricho-phagy, their trichophgia can become so severe that they develop a hairball. It can lead to bowel obstructions, ulcers, perforations, acute pancreatitis and appendicitis (this is called Rapunzel syndrome) It is important to recognize these secondary symptoms and treat them in order to recognize and treat the hair-pulling behaviors and to relieve negative feelings. It's not always a sign of a psychological disorder. Cats practice trichophileia as a form. of regular grooming. It occurs instinctively in many animal species and is not always an indication of a psychiatric disorder. There is a prevalence of 0.6% in the general population.