Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair鈥�
If you鈥檝e ever had long hair you know how it can collect just about everywhere, so I can鈥檛 help but wonder how Rapunzel kept her locks from sticking to the shower wall and getting in her coffee. One thing鈥檚 for sure though, she didn鈥檛 eat it. If she did, she鈥檇 probably be pretty .
is the result of (compulsive hair eating), and is essentially a human . is a psychiatric disease in which someone pulls out or cuts off their hair, and when it combines with trichophagia, Rapunzel syndrome is born. The danger lies in the human digestive system鈥檚 inability to digest hair, leaving to the of (yes like in ), or hairballs. Generally the hairballs are not that dangerous, since humans (unlike rabbits who also get hairballs) can , but if they grow too large they may need to be surgically removed. Much more worrying however is the psychiatric state of a patient experiencing this condition, as trichophagia and trichotillomania are commonly seen in conjunction with the difficult-to-treat .
