Articles Vol. 67 No. 9 25/09/2026

CLINICAL AND PARACLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF HAIR LOSS DUE TO HAIR-PLUCKING IN PATIENTS UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE EXAMINED AT THE NATIONAL HOSPITAL OF DERMATOLOGY AND VENEREOLOGY

Nguyen Thi Thanh Trang, Tran Thi Huyen, Nguyen Thi Ha Vinh, Tran Minh An, Pham Thi Lan
DOI: 10.52163/yhc.v67i9.6606
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Abstract

This study aimed to describe the clinical and paraclinical features of trichotillomania-associated alopecia in 36 patients aged <18 years at the National Hospital of Dermatology and Venereology between August 2025 and May 2026. Patients underwent clinical and trichoscopic examinations and screening for anxiety and depression using the RCADS-25. The mean age was 11.7 ± 2.9 years; 80.6% of patients were female, and 88.9% (32/36) were younger than 16 years. The vertex was the most commonly affected site (80.6%), and patients typically presented with one or two alopecic patches. Trichoscopy revealed broken hairs with uneven hair length in 100% of patients, flames hair in 77.8% and black dots in 97.2%. 94.4% of patients exhibited repetitive hair pulling behavior, with an average frequency of 26.9 ± 25.8 times/week; 58.3% of the patients pulled their hair while studying or working; 33.3% of the patients had stress as a trigger. RCADS-25 screening indicated a low or moderate risk of anxiety and depression in 16.7% of patients.

Keywords
Trichotillomania, hair loss due to trichotillomania
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