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Doctors in China recently removed a staggering 2kg hairball from the stomach of a teenage girl who had been secretly eating her own hair for six years
The 15-year-old from Henan province, nicknamed Nini, was brought to a hospital in July after suffering from a severe stomach ache that prevented her from eating.
She was dangerously underweight, weighing only 35kg despite being 160cm tall.
According to the Hubei Daily, she was also diagnosed with serious anaemia and had not menstruated for six months.
An examination at Wuhan Children's Hospital revealed the huge mass, composed of hair and food residue, had caused her stomach to swell to twice its normal size
Her mother revealed to doctors that Nini had been pulling out and eating her own hair since she was 9 years old, a rare condition known as trichophagia.
Surgeons successfully removed the hairball in an operation on 14 July 2025. The girl was able to eat again five days later and is now recovering well and gaining weight.
Image for illustration purposes.
Image via Anna Shvets / PexelsOne doctor in the report warned parents to be alert if their children persistently eat non-food objects for over a month, as it could be a sign of a compulsive disorder
According to health experts, conditions like trichophagia often require a combination of treatments, including not only surgical intervention but also psychiatric counselling and dietary support to manage the compulsive behaviour and ensure long-term health.
