Research explores genetic and psychological roots of hair-pulling and skin-picking

Recent research is shedding new light on the biological and psychological drivers of body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), specifically trichotillomania (hair-pulling) and excoriation disorder (skin-picking).

A Yale study utilizing a parent-child trio approach investigated the genetic roots of these conditions. By analyzing DNA from affected offspring and their biological parents, researchers sought to determine if specific genetic risk factors are passed down more frequently than chance. The study also explored whether these BFRBs share genetic risks with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), as the conditions often co-occur.

Complementing the genetic focus, researchers at Heidelberg University Hospital conducted a study to better understand the real-time urges associated with trichotillomania. Moving away from retrospective journaling, the team used ecological momentary assessment to prompt 61 adults to record their feelings and actions multiple times a day. This method aims to capture the immediate triggers and emotional states that influence the compulsion to pull hair, providing a more accurate picture of the urge than traditional recall-based methods.