Trichotillomania in children tends to be milder and less serious than the disorder in adults. This condition can affect kids as young as a year old, but usually this bad habit is used as a comfort mechanism, like sucking the thumb or rubbing a favorite blanket. Usually this condition is one that children grow out of with no medical intervention. In the early years of childhood, it appears that boys and girls are affected equally.
Trichotillomania more commonly develops in adolescence and the compulsion can be a way to cope with stress. Increasing hormone levels may exacerbate the habit, also.
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