Actor Olivia Munn has spoken about living with a unique condition: trichotillomania. It is a mental health disorder involving the urge to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body. She says a paparazzi incident during 2009-10 when she was romantically linked to actor Chris Pine, sparked this hair-pulling condition.
Olivia Munn made this revelation during an episode of the Armchair Expert podcast. Talking about it, she said, “It could be hair at the top of your head, because there’s a sensation. It’s probably not even real, but I’ll feel like, oh, this eyelash feels like it’s gonna come out. And then when you pull it, there is a quick second of pain. And then there’s a satisfaction and an immediate regret.”
Recounting what really sparked the condition, Munn said it was when photographs of her and Chris Pine leaving the latter’s apartment together, surfaced online, and she ended up consuming people’s reactions.
“I did the horrible thing, which was to read the comments… And they were like, ‘I think she set this up!’ That began my trichotillomania. That was the very beginning,” explained the “X-Men: Apocalypse” actor.
In recent years, the 44-year-old has been open about her health battles. Just a year ago, she had opened up about the diagnosis of a form of breast cancer known as Luminal B cancer. She had to undergo a double mastectomy. She also subsequently underwent hysterectomy as part of her treatment.
What is trichotillomania?
According to the National Institutes of Health, Trichotillomania leads a person to pull from anywhere on the body repeatedly. It is a part of Obsessive Compulsive Disorders, and is related to anxiety issues. As it may cause hair loss and affect a patient’s appearance over time, it is also associated with societal stigma.
People with trichotillomania often pull out hair from their scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or even other body parts. It may happen when they’re:
- Stressed or anxious
- Simply bored
- Seeking relief from tension
- Not even realizing they’re doing it
For some, like Olivia Munn points out, the act of pulling hair gives a temporary sense of relief or satisfaction. But it is often followed by feelings of shame, guilt, or embarrassment.
According to life coach Dr Chandni Tugnait, Trichotillomania may be often misunderstood as a mere “bad habit”. But it is a deeply rooted mental health condition. “From a therapeutic lens, it is a coping mechanism for underlying emotional dysregulation – an unconscious attempt to self-soothe when one feels overwhelmed, anxious, or emotionally unsafe. People experiencing this compulsive hair-pulling may be battling internal chaos, sensory discomfort, or unprocessed trauma,” Dr Tugnait tells Health Shots.
The long-term side effects of this mental health concern includes permanent hair loss. Research reveals that some individuals may even eat all or portions of the hair. These people may be at risk for a trichobezoar – a mass of swallowed hair in the gastrointestinal tract, per the NIH.
Common signs of Trichotillomania
While this hair-pulling disorder may go unnoticed in many patients, here are some signs of Trichotillomania which should raise an alarm:
- Bald patches on the scalp or missing eyelashes/eyebrows
- Repeated pulling of hair even when trying to stop
- Spending a lot of time trying to cover up hair loss
- Feeling stressed or upset if unable to pull hair
- Avoiding social situations due to appearance
Can it be treated?
A Trichotillomania patient may consult primary care clinician, a dermatologist, a psychiatrist, and/or a licensed clinical psychologist. It can be managed by therapy techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and habit reversal training, as well as medications.
Dr Tugnait advocates an integrative approach that blends therapy, nervous system regulation, energy healing, and subconscious reprogramming is powerful. “Tools like CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), hypnotherapy, EMDR, and energy balancing help rewire the emotional imprint behind the compulsion. It is essential to address not just the symptom (hair-pulling), but the soul-level stress pattern that feeds it,” she adds.
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