Amy Schumer reveals she has a hair-pulling disorder: 'It's still something that I struggle with'

• Amy Schumer has the hair-pulling disorder trichotillomania, which she revealed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
• Schumer shared she once pulled out so much hair that she had to wear a wig.

Amy Schumer said she's dealt with trichotillomania, a disorder that causes a compulsive need to pull out body hair, for years.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter's Lacey Rose published on Friday, the 40-year-old got candid about her childhood and her new Hulu TV series, "Life & Beth."

The series, which also stars Michael Cera and Michael Rapaport, explores the disorder through the portrayal of her character, Beth.

"I think everybody has a big secret and that's mine," Schumer told THR. "And I'm proud that my big secret only hurts me but it's been what I've carried so much shame about for so long."

Schumer explained to THR that the disorder surfaced during a difficult period in her life. Around that time, she said her father declared bankruptcy and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Schumer's mother left her father for the married father of her best friend.

Schumer told the outlet that she once pulled out so much hair that she had to wear a wig before returning to school and "everybody knew."

"And it's not that I used to have this problem and now I don't," Schumer said, adding that trichotillomania is "still something that I struggle with."

Schumer told THR that she worries that her 2-year-old son, may also be diagnosed with trichotillomania since it has a genetic component, according to the National Institute of Health (NIH).

"Every time he touches his head I'm having a heart attack," she told THR.

She hopes that showing trichotillomania in the series could encourage both her and audiences to "alleviate shame."

"I really don't want to have a big secret anymore," Schumer told THR. "And I thought putting it in there would be good for me to alleviate some of my shame and maybe, hopefully, help others alleviate some of theirs, too."

Representatives for Schumer did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

The Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) reported that trichotillomania may start affecting some people at 22 months old, but there were no records of onsets in people over 60 as of March 2020. The report said that trichotillomania affects men and women equally pre-puberty, but women are five to 10 times more likely to be affected after puberty.

Trichotillomania often begins during childhood or adolescence during times of stress, according to the ADAA.

In February, it was announced that Schumer would host the 94th Academy Awards alongside Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes on March 27. It will be the first time three women have hosted the Oscars.

Recently, Schumer said she got liposuction because she was "tired of looking at myself in the mirror."

"Everybody on camera is doing this shit, I just wanted to be real about it," she told The Hollywood Reporter.