Trichotillomania: 'People who pull out their own hair shouldn't feel ashamed'

Mar 24, 2026 · 785 words · By Matthew Richards

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What to know about Trichotillomania: 'People who pull out their own hair shouldn't feel ashamed'

Like millions of others, I pull my own hair out - we need to talk about trichotillomania - Published An online content creator who has a compulsive hair-pulling disorder says others with the condition "shouldn't be ashamed" or "feel embarrassed".

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

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Center100%

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5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Why it matters

Ruben Chorlton-Owen, 24, from Abersoch in Gwynedd, has trichotillomania, also known as trich or TTM.

Common ground

The condition causes him to obsessively pluck his beard or eyebrows when anxious or bored.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Trichotillomania: 'People who pull out their own hair shouldn't feel ashamed'?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that Trichotillomania typically begins between the ages of 10 and 13 years old?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czx9l9lwr22o

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

verified Verified By Reference 4

schedule Pending 4

help Insufficient Evidence 4

check_circle Corroborated 2

verified

Claim 1: “Trichotillomania typically begins between the ages of 10 and 13 years old.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries for trichotillomania and related topics do not mention age of onset ranges.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The obsessive–compulsive spectrum is a model of medical classification where various psychiatric, neurological and/or medical conditions are described as existing on a spectrum of conditions related t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obsessive–compulsive_spectrum

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trichophagia is a form of disordered eating in which persons with the disorder suck on, chew, swallow, or otherwise eat hair. The term is derived from ancient Greek θρίξ, thrix ("hair") and φαγεῖν, ph…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichophagia

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Trichotillomania (TTM), also known as hair-pulling disorder or compulsive hair pulling, is a mental disorder characterized by a long-term urge that results in the pulling out of one's own hair. A brie…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania

schedule

Claim 2: “Meryl Da Costa-Rohland, who works for TrichStop, states that various techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy and ACT, can help manage trichotillomania.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

schedule

Claim 3: “Ruben Chorlton-Owen reported that micro-blading his eyebrows reduced his urge to pull hairs.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 4: “Approximately half of individuals with trichotillomania never seek treatment, according to University of Oxford research.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries about Oxford and its university provide no evidence of University of Oxford research on treatment-seeking behavior.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Oxford

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oxford ( ) is a cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officia…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_University_Press

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Claim 5: “Clare Mackay states that trichotillomania can be severe and result in people pulling out all of their hair.”

CORROBORATED

Web search results confirm Clare Mackay describes trichotillomania as severe and associated with extensive hair-pulling.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A University of Oxford professor has described living with an uncontrollable urge to pull out her hair. ProfClareMackayhas lived withtrichotillomaniafor 40 years. The 52-year-old said she had ...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpvyr707k22o

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — ClareMackay, Professor of Imaging Neuroscience in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, talks for the first time about her experiences oftrichotillomania, an uncontrollable urge to pull …
https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/trichotillomania-emerging-fr…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) such astrichotillomania(hairpulling) and skin picking are relatively common but remain stigmatized and misunderstood. Suzanne Mouton-Odum, PhD, andClareMackay…
https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/bod…

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Claim 6: “Clare Mackay's book, 'Keep Your Hair On,' is based on her personal experience and research into body-focused repetitive behaviours.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

help

Claim 7: “Trichotillomania is classified as a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB), similar to nail biting or skin picking.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search or Wikipedia to confirm BFRB classification of trichotillomania.

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Claim 8: “Ruben Chorlton-Owen has trichotillomania.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results independently confirm Ruben Chorlton-Owen has trichotillomania, including BBC coverage from 2026.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — RubenChorlton-Owen, 24, from Abersoch in Gwynedd,hastrichotillomania, also known as trich or TTM. The condition causes him to obsessively pluck his beard or eyebrows when anxious or bored.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czx9l9lwr22o

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Full piece abouttrichotillomaniaon BBC, 25/03/2026.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/2owQfIKK--s

help

Claim 9: “Amber Phillips, Ruben's partner, first became aware of his trichotillomania when they were watching TV, noticing his frequent hair-pulling.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search or Wikipedia to support Amber Phillips' awareness of Ruben's condition.

verified

Claim 10: “Trichotillomania is believed to affect 1-2% of the population, according to research published in the scientific journal Nature.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Nature journal and US survey studies both cite prevalence rates of 1-2% for trichotillomania, aligning with the claim.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Trichotillomaniais an understudied, underrecognized, and difficult-to-treat psychiatric disorder thataffectsabout1-2%ofthepopulation,predominantly women. This study aimed to characterize ...
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-95416-w

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — A convenience sampling of 10,169 adults, aged 18-69 years, representative of the general USpopulation,completed a survey to establish occurrence oftrichotillomania, other mental health concerns, and i…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7212053/

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — This study demonstrates that TTM impacts ∼1%ofthepopulation,while general hair-pulling behaviorsaffects∼8%, highlighting the significant public health impact of this understudied condition. Additional…
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002239562…

help

Claim 11: “Clare Mackay has lived with trichotillomania for 40 years and collaborates with the BFRB UK and Ireland support group.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search or Wikipedia to confirm Clare Mackay's collaboration with BFRB support groups.

schedule

Claim 12: “Ruben Chorlton-Owen intends to create more videos about trichotillomania following positive feedback on his public disclosure.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 13: “Ruben Chorlton-Owen was diagnosed with trichotillomania 10 years ago and reported pulling out most of his eyebrow hairs at his lowest point.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Wikipedia entries for football clubs and players provide no evidence about Ruben Chorlton-Owen's diagnosis or timeline.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2023–24 season was the 120th season in the history of Hull City Association Football Club and their third consecutive season in the Championship. The club participated in the Championship, the FA …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023–24_Hull_City_A.F.C._seaso…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The 2025–26 season is Bury F.C.'s first in the Northern Premier League West Division, following their promotion the previous season.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–26_Bury_F.C._season

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bolton Wanderers F.C. is an English association football club based in Lostock, Greater Manchester. The club was formed in Bolton in 1874 as Christ Church F.C., and played their first competitive matc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Bolton_Wanderers_F.C._…

help

Claim 14: “According to the NHS, trichotillomania involves pulling hair from areas such as the head, eyebrows, and eyelashes.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence found in web search or Wikipedia to support NHS-specific claims about trichotillomania.

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.