1. Begin with a thorough psychiatric assessment to establish an accurate diagnosis and to assess for co-occurring psychiatric disorders.
2. Conduct a thorough medical evaluation if the patient admits to ingesting hair, to assess for possible gastrointestinal blockage.
3. Provide education about the disorder, including its possible etiologies and the benefits and risks of treatment.
4. Reprinted from American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Association, 2013, p. 251. Copyright 2013, American Psychiatric Association.
5. Christenson GA. Trichotillomania: from prevalence to comorbidity. Psychiatr Times. 1995;12:44–8.