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Amy Schumer recently opened up about her struggle with trichotillomania, a hair-pulling disorder that prompts people to pull out their own hair. During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress-comedian revealed that she has dealt with the condition since her school days.
She also mentioned that she once wore a wig to cover up the hair loss caused by her condition:
“I think everybody has a big secret and that's mine. And I'm proud that my big secret only hurts me, but it's been what I've carried so much shame about for so long.”
Amy Schumer then said that she finally decided to open up about her condition to mitigate some of her own shame and also help others in the process:
“I really don’t want to have a big secret anymore. I thought putting it in there would be good for me to alleviate some of my shame and maybe, hopefully, help others alleviate some of theirs, too.”
The comedian has also highlighted her struggles with trichotillomania in her new semi-autobiographical Hulu series Life & Beth.
A look into Amy Schumer’s battle with Trichotillomania
Amy Schumer showed the first signs of trichotillomania during a difficult phase in her early years. The condition surfaced when her father went bankrupt and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her mother left him for her best friend's father.
Schumer told The Hollywood Reporter that the disorder continued throughout her adult life and she continues to struggle with the condition:
“It's not that I used to have this problem and now I don't. It's still something that I struggle with.”
The Trainwreck star also mentioned that she fears passing on the condition to her son Gene due to the genetic nature of the disorder:
“Every time he touches his head, I'm having a heart attack.”
In Hulu’s Life & Beth, Schumer’s character is shown to be suffering from a severe form of trichotillomania. Similar to one of her real-life experiences, Beth’s condition becomes so extreme that she is compelled to wear a wig to school to hide her bald patches.
Amy Schumer even told THR that “everybody knew” about her wig the day she had to wear it to school after her condition spiraled out of control.
The Life & Beth episode surrounding trichotillomania also advised people suffering from the condition to seek professional help when required. It also suggested that viewers dealing with the disorder check out the TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.
The TLC Foundation also praised Amy Schumer’s decision to open up about the disorder and her portrayal of the condition on her show.
The organization’s executive director told THR that the community is finally “breathing a collective sigh of relief” spending years seeing their “behaviors mischaracterized and misinterpreted.”
Explaining the meaning of Trichotillomania
Trichotillomania, also known as hair-pulling disorder, is a mental disorder that involves the irresistible and uncontrollable urge to pull hair out of the scalp, eyebrows or other areas of the body.
The condition is considered a form of impulse control disorder that prompts a person to pull out their hair despite their desire to stop. According to The Mayo Clinic, the condition often leaves patchy bald spots on the head and compels a person to take extreme measures to hide their hair loss.
The disorder also results in distress and can obstruct social or work functioning. The severity of trichotillomania varies from person to person. While some people experience mild symptoms and manage their urges, others experience an overwhelming push to yank out their hair.
Common signs of trichotillomania often include repeated hair-pulling from the scalp, eyebrows, or eyelashes, and a sense of satisfaction after the act. It also involves an increased development of tension before or while resisting a hair pull.
Other symptoms of the condition include noticeable hair loss, biting, chewing or eating pulled-out hair, playing with pulled-out hair, repeated failed attempts to stop hair pulling as well as distress or problems at work, school or social situations related to hair pulling.
At times, pulling out hair from pets, dolls or objects like clothes or blankets can also be considered a sign. The Mayo Clinic reports that many people with trichotillomania also have the urge to bite their nails, chew their lips or pick their skin.
The cause of trichotillomania is currently unclear but is mostly characterized by a combination of genetic and environmental factors like other complex disorders. The nature of the disorder can be focused, automatic or both.
Treatment of trichotillomania mostly involves therapy, counseling, and medications such as antidepressants.
