Isolated Eyebrow And Eyelash Trichotillomania Mimicking Alopecia Areata
February 2006
in “
International Journal of Dermatology
”
TLDR Some children and young adults with eyebrow and eyelash hair loss actually have a hair-pulling disorder, often with related psychological issues.
The study focused on seven children and young adults with isolated eyebrow and eyelash alopecia, initially suspected to be alopecia areata (AA) but diagnosed as trichotillomania (TM) based on clinical criteria. TM was characterized by hairs broken at different levels, tufted, tortuous, and some abnormally long. Interviews with patients and their parents revealed underlying psychopathologies, primarily obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCD) and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSDs). The study concluded that TM should be considered in cases of isolated eyebrow and eyelash alopecia when hair characteristics align with TM rather than AA.