Treating trichotillomania can basically be done from two major angles; through medication, and through behavioral training.
Reports of using medication, as a stand alone form of treating trichotillomania, show a very low success rate.
Antidepressants with serotonergic properties, such as those used for people with obsessive compulsive disorders, are among those most typically used for treating trichotillomania, Clomipramine (also known as Anafranil) being the most effective in these cases.
Mixed results have been reported with the use of SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors).
In conjunction with the use of SSRIs, some researchers have recommended the use of neuroleptic drugs (antipsychotics) in low doses.
Treating trichotillomania with medication is usually combined with behavioral training therapy.
Using behavioral training therapy in treating trichotillomania has reported results of a 90% and higher success rate, even as a stand alone treatment.
As the hair pulling behavior that sufferers exhibit is a triggered response to negative emotional stimuli (such as stress, anger, anxiety, etc.
), psychoanalysis can be an aid to gaining a better understanding of just which stimuli can trigger each individual's behavior.
This is mainly done by focusing on the person's childhood experiences and/or any unresolved issues or conflicts that had initially been experienced during the early developmental stages of the individual's life.
Treating trichotillomania with behavioral therapy, such as with habit reversal training, teaches the individual to monitor their hair pulling behavior and begin to replace it with healthier habits.
It is with this type of therapy that the most successes occur.
Some alternative means of treating trichotillomania can include hypnosis and also biofeedback therapy.