Hair Raising Recovery For Teen Girl: 1.5 KG Hairball Removed from Stomach

In a rare  medical case, a 1.5 kg human hairball was removed from the stomach of a teenage girl in Puducherry through a 90-minute long surgery. The hairball  caused severe abdominal pain and nausea.

According to doctors, the girl suffers from a rare psychological condition called Trichotillomania, which led her to pull out her own hair and swallow it. This condition is more common in women, and counselling and behaviour therapy are crucial after surgery to prevent recurrence.

Dr K Sasikumar, Surgical Gastroenterologist, Gem Hospital  told tellmystory.in “The patient wouldn’t know that she has been unconsciously pulling her own hair and swallowing. She must have been doing this for more than a year just like many who bite their nail when they are stressed”. 

The 1.5 KG hairball, doctors say posed a significant risk to the patient’s digestive system and overall health. The  girl is recovering well and has been discharged. They add, Counselling and behavioral therapy will play a crucial role to help the patient get out of her stress  so she could consciously get out of this urge to eat hair.