THE USE OF PHARMACOLOGICAL PAIN SENSITIZATION IN THE TREATMENT OF REPETITIVE HAIR-PULLING

A significant problem for many individuals who engage in repetitive ha ir-pulling is the fact that they experience no discomfort associated w ith their behavior, and can thus carry on with hair-pulling outside of conscious awareness. The present case study was an attempt to address this problem through the use of a commercially available topical crea m which enhances pain sensitivity. A 38-yr-old female applied the crea m daily to two affected areas on her scalp. The increased pain sensiti zation, in conjunction with the habit reversal technique, resulted in markedly decreased hair-pulling. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science L td