Psychological Aspect of Alopecia

Abstract

Hair is one of the most important components of the individual’s appearance and self-perception, as an organ that has an important role in social and sexual communication in humans. Therefore, hair loss can have negative effects on self-confidence, body image and self-esteem. Trichopsychodermatology is a special field of psychodermatology that deals with the psychosocial causes and consequences of hair loss and hair diseases. Alopecia patients suffer from various mental disorders, especially anxiety and depression. Psychological stress and emotional difficulties act as triggers and accelerators in both trichotillomania, which is within the scope of primary psychiatric diseases, and hair diseases with different etiopathogenesis such as alopecia areata, telogen effluvium, cicatricial alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, anagen alopecia. Providing psychiatric diagnosis and treatment in a patient presenting with alopecia may also have a positive effect on the course of alopecia. In this section, the psychiatric approach to patients with alopecia is discussed. This situation, which is frequently observed by dermatologists in clinical practice, has actually been little studied in the literature.