If you’ve been following this blog, you know that neurotransmitter imbalance is the cause of most people’s urge to pull. Since neurotransmitter imbalance is the underlying cause, a common sense approach would be to (a) determine a person’s neurotransmitter imbalance(s) and (b) correct them. This approach has been used successfully by many clinics throughout the country, with the subsequent elimination of the urge to pull in over 85% of people. It is a remarkably successful approach because it gets to the root cause, which is neurotransmitter dysfunction.

In regards to trichotillomania, the key neurotransmitters have been to be serotonin and dopamine (which then breaks down into norepinephrine and epinephrine). Each neurotransmitter is made from a specific amino acid through a series of steps that require specific nutrients called cofactors.

Picture from Marty Hinz, MD: www.neuroassist.com

Taking these amino acids and cofactors in the right amounts can restore optimal neurotransmitter function by giving the body the building blocks it needs to overcome any deficit or imbalance.  In fact, it has been found that taking the right combination of amino acids and cofactors is the only way to improve neurotransmitter function in the brain because the neurotransmitters themselves cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. The key is to determine each person’s unique imbalances and get them the right combination of nutrients to restore proper function.