Hair-Eating Habit Ends In Surgery

surgeons performing an operation — Photo: Shakirov Albert / Shutterstock

Doctors in Delhi pulled a 1.16-kilogram hairball from a 20-year-old’s stomach after 11 years of hair eating.

Story Snapshot

Surgeons removed a J-shaped 1.16-kilogram hairball from a student’s stomach in Delhi.
The woman had eaten strands of her own hair for nearly 11 years, a condition called trichophagia.
Symptoms included severe belly pain and vomiting, which led to the hospital visit.
Doctors say large hairballs often require surgery and careful mental health follow-up.

What Doctors Found And Why It Mattered

Doctors at Manipal Hospital Dwarka reported a giant, J-shaped hairball that filled most of the woman’s stomach. The mass weighed 1.16 kilograms and had formed over years of swallowed strands. The human gut cannot break down hair, so it packs into a tight ball called a trichobezoar. As it grows, it blocks the stomach’s normal work and can trigger pain, repeated vomiting, and even tears or holes if ignored.

Her path to the operating room began with classic warning signs. She had sharp abdominal pain and frequent vomiting that did not ease. Imaging and exams pointed to a dense mass. The team proceeded with removal because small tools often cannot break up big hairballs safely. Large trichobezoars usually demand surgery to clear the blockage and protect the stomach from damage and infection risk. The removal was reported as successful, with the entire mass extracted intact.

Trichophagia: The Behavior Behind The Blockage

Trichophagia means eating hair. It often pairs with hair-pulling, called trichotillomania. Girls and young women carry most cases. Medical reviews show that trichobezoars make up a small share of all bezoars, but they concentrate in teens and young adults, mostly female. Many present with vague symptoms at first, like nausea, early fullness, and weight loss. Over time, the mass grows and triggers more intense pain and vomiting that force care.

Doctors warn that the stomach cannot move hair along like normal food. The strands knot together, catch more hair, and harden. This forms a cast of the stomach that can even trail into the small bowel, known as Rapunzel syndrome. When that happens, the risk of bowel obstruction rises fast. Surgical removal becomes the reliable fix. Endoscopy may work for very small bezoars, but large hairballs resist tools and can fragment dangerously, so surgeons favor open or laparoscopic extraction.

Why Surgery Is Only Half The Cure

Recovery does not end in the operating room. Without mental health care, the behavior can return. Studies and case series advise close follow-up with counseling and behavioral therapy. Some reviews note higher relapse when follow-up is spotty or stops early. Teams that mix surgery with ongoing psychiatric care report better long-term outcomes and fewer repeat bezoars. Families also need coaching to spot early signs and to support new coping skills at home.

Treat the acute threat fast, then address the root cause to prevent repeat emergencies. That approach saves costs, reduces hospital stays, and protects the patient’s dignity. It also avoids turning rare cases into repeat crises. Hospitals that set clear follow-up steps, track attendance, and link patients with community support stack the odds toward lasting success and fewer operating rooms for a fixable behavior.