Rapunzel Syndrome

The Rapunzel syndrome is a rare intestinal condition in humans resulting from eating hair ones own hair, a syndrome psychologically known as trichophagia. It is a medical condition characterized by intestinal obstruction caused by hair ingestion, and occurs mostly in patients diagnosed with trichotillomania, a psychological condition manifested by an uncontrollable urge to pull out their own head and body hair. Medically this human hairball is called a trichobezoar.

The syndrome is named after the fairy tale princess with amazingly long-flowing hair as told in one of the stories of the Brothers Grimm.

Because humans are unable to digest their own hair, the trichobezoar may have to be removed surgically.