A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study of Inositol in Trichotillomania

In a study from 2017 involving 38 individuals with trichotillomania, the efficacy and tolerability of inositol as a treatment were evaluated over a 10-week period. Participants, predominantly women with an average age of 28.9 years, were given inositol in doses ranging from 6 to 18 grams per day in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Various scales were used to assess the severity of hair pulling, clinical impressions, and levels of depression and anxiety. The results showed that inositol did not lead to significantly greater improvements in hair pulling or any secondary measures compared to the placebo group. At the end of the study, 42.1% of patients on inositol showed some improvement, versus 35.3% on placebo. The study concluded that inositol was not more effective than a placebo in reducing symptoms of trichotillomania.