Dietary changes can prove beneficial to hair pullers. Many children have stopped pulling completely by following the John Kender diet Alone.

Most adults can reduce their urges with this diet, but usually some behavioural coaching is required for recovery.

Printer friendly list of foods allowed and disallowed (doesn't mention trichotillomania!)

NOURISH THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT THE DISORDER.

Hair and hair roots consist of protein. There is now increasing evidence that high protein diets can improve Trichotillomania considerably.

If you follow the diet below, and limit your carbohydrate intake, urges are likely to substantially decrease. (See Holly's subscript at foot of page) BUT diet is only one part of the disorder; full recovery in adults is rarely achieved by diet alone.

The basis of the JK diet (see table below) is that people with trichotillomania seem to experience irritation and itchiness from Malassezia, a skin and stomach yeast. The foods on the right hand side of the table (the dark foods) are known to exacerbate the existence of the skin yeast, Malassezia.

Vegetarians : Check out specialist John Kender sites to see what you can and can't eat as soy products are not recommended for people with trichotillomania. Vegetarian discussion topic.

Possibly bad foods : For lash pullers, Vitamin D enriched milk products. Whole grains, whole grain flours, grapefruit, Gin

I have had Trichotillomania since I was 8 years old. I am now 28. It has been a significant concern in my life - that goes without saying.

A few months back I started to reduce the carbs and sugars from my diet. Literally overnight, I noticed a significant impact on the urge I had to pull my hair out. I have been on several perscribed drugs previously, such as prozac and cloimpramine and they had little or no effect on the ability to minimalize the hair pulling and stress and depression that results. By taking sugar out my diet, I literally went from being in my habitual trance like state of hair pulling, to pulling no more than 1-2 strands a day, sometimes none at all. Up until seeing this info validated on your website, I have not seen anything alse substantiate this solution in a more visable way, that reaches the millions that suffer with this and grow hopeless in finding a way to greatly reduce or eliminate trichotillomania from their lives. It was truly an accident that I figured this out, and wish that there was more awareness out there so that others could determine if the way their brains and bodies process glucose has an impact on tricotillomania. Throughout my life I have concealed my hairloss through everything from wigs, permanent markers, hair products and avoidance of situations that would unveil my bald spots (swimming, wind, hats, etc.). My hair has been growing back in nicely . I feel amazed to learn that sometimes the most complicated problems have very simple solutions.

Holly

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