Characterizing the content, messaging, and tone of trichotillomania on YouTube: A content analysis

•YouTube videos on trichotillomania are mostly self-filmed personal stories.•Most videos are factual, educational, and/or hopeful in their messaging.•Videos suggest strategies such as encouraging to seek professional treatment.•Nearly half of videos depict hair loss, but relatively few depict hair-pulling.•Shame, interpersonal challenges, and loneliness are also a feature of narratives.