Free self-check · 2 minutes
Is it trichotillomania? Take the 2-minute quiz.
12 quick questions. Free. Results straight after.
Who are you taking this quiz for?
- 12 one-tap questions
- No sign-up to start
- Not a diagnosis
12 one-tap questionsThis quiz can’t diagnose trichotillomania — only a doctor or qualified professional can do that. It shows how closely your answers match the signs.
What the quiz checks
The questions are written in plain English, but each one maps to something in the official definition of trichotillomania (the DSM-5-TR). Here’s what a professional looks for:
Pulling that causes hair loss
Pulling out your own hair again and again, enough to leave thin areas, gaps or patches — even if you’re the only one who’d notice, and even if you cover them up.
Trying to stop
You’ve tried more than once to stop or cut down. For a child, this can be wishing they could stop, or being too young to say.
Distress, or getting in the way
The pulling or the hair loss upsets you, embarrasses you, or makes you avoid things — swimming, haircuts, photos, sleepovers — or affects work, school or relationships.
Nothing else explains it
Patchy hair loss has other causes, such as alopecia areata or a scalp infection. The quiz asks whether a doctor has looked, and the results say when it’s worth asking one to.
The quiz also asks about pulling style — automatic (without noticing) or focused (on purpose, to ease an urge) — because that changes which strategies help. It isn’t a clinical scale and it can’t diagnose anything. For the full picture, read What is trichotillomania?.
Questions people ask
Can a quiz tell me if I have trich?›
No. A quiz can show how closely your answers match the signs of trichotillomania, and that’s useful — it can put words to what’s happening and tell you whether it’s worth talking to someone. But only a doctor or qualified professional can diagnose it, usually by talking with you and, if needed, looking at the areas where hair is missing.
What else can cause patchy hair loss?›
Alopecia areata (an immune condition that causes smooth, often round patches), fungal infections of the scalp, hair loss from tight hairstyles, and shedding after stress or illness. They’re treated differently from trichotillomania, which is why the results suggest a doctor takes a look if one hasn’t yet.
Is my child’s hair pulling trich?›
It might be. Trichotillomania often starts between the ages of 10 and 13, but it can begin earlier. In children under 5, pulling is often linked to comfort or sleep, like thumb-sucking, and often eases on its own. Take the quiz for your child and the results will say what the answers point to and what to do next. Whatever they show, a doctor can rule out other causes.
Is the quiz private?›
Yes. Your answers stay on your device until you choose to see your results. We keep an anonymous record of the answers and result — with no name, email or anything that identifies you — so we can see how people use the quiz. Your email is used to send your results, and for the newsletter only if you tick that box. Nothing about your answers is ever attached to your email address.
What happens after the quiz?›
You see your results on screen and get one email with a copy. That’s the only email the quiz sends — no follow-up series. If you took it for your child, the results point you to A Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania; if you took it for yourself, to our directory of therapists who understand hair pulling.
Is it trichotillomania?
Take the quiz
12 quick questions. Free. Results straight after.
12 quick questions. Free. Not a diagnosis.