# Are stomach hairballs inevitable when eating facial hair? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 27, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997 "2012-10-27T02:03:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/1 "2012-10-27T02:03:35Z")
If you nibble on your own facial hair are hairballs actually likely or do hairs, especially the tiny short ones you would be eating if eating your own facial hair, usually digested no problem? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/2 "2012-10-27T02:09:10Z")
Say what the huh? ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/3 "2012-10-27T02:18:56Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > Say what the huh? If you’re unclear about how to eat facial hair I just [made a quick vid](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93IKjyewk8c&feature=youtu.be)for you of me eating some. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/4 "2012-10-27T02:20:11Z")
I dare not clicketh. Also, I’m imagining very itchy poop. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/5 "2012-10-27T02:22:43Z")
I would just rather imagine you as a cat. ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/6 "2012-10-27T02:23:56Z")
Nope, I’ve been eating my facial hair since I’ve had it basically. Not all of it by any means, not even close. Only the bits I can reach with my teeth, for starters. But then you read about stories like [1.8 kg hair extracted from girl’s stomach](http://www.pardaphash.com/news/severe-trichophagia-18-kg-hair-extracted-from-girls-stomach/697183.html) and you wonder. Thing is that obviously I’m basically eating very little hair because of where I’m getting it from. So the risk comes down to whether it’s being digested or not. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/7 "2012-10-27T02:37:51Z")
There’s an eating disorder called [Pica.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pica_(disorder)) Not sure if this really applies, but who knows. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/8 "2012-10-27T02:48:14Z")
> [@Simple\_Linctus](#): > > If you’re unclear about how to eat facial hair I just [made a quick vid](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93IKjyewk8c&feature=youtu.be)for you of me eating some. Ohhhhh, now it makes perfect sense! ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/9 "2012-10-27T03:02:22Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > Ohhhhh, now it makes perfect sense! Ok, I watched it. I just wanted someone else to go first. My initial reaction was more to do with why you’d want to eat your facial hair to begin with, not necessarily technique. But hey, nice work! ---
**Author:** ![Fubaya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@Fubaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fubaya)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/10 "2012-10-27T03:03:43Z")
I don’t know hairball physics but I imagine they form by the hairs tangling together and that tiny little hairs would have a hard time doing that. Also, this is one of the greatest videos ever made. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/11 "2012-10-27T03:11:41Z")
So the hair you pull from your teeth is _your own_??? ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/12 "2012-10-27T03:21:53Z")
It’s not inevitable but it is possible. Do some searches for _trichophagia_ and if you dare, image searches. It seems to be more common with long hair but one noteworthy case of hairball via moustache was [Josef Mengele](http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/josef-mengele-in-brazil-angel-of-death-diary-shows-no-regrets-a-330311.html). After going into exile in Brazil he developed a nervous habit of chewing the ends of his moustache hair and developed a gastric obstruction that required surgery to remove. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/13 "2012-10-27T05:30:30Z")
Okay, the question then: Why doesn’t ingested hair (especially in smallish quantities) just get digested, to the same extent that other fibrous or keratinous stuff does? ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/14 "2012-10-27T06:31:30Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Okay, the question then: Why doesn’t ingested hair (especially in smallish quantities) just get digested, to the same extent that other fibrous or keratinous stuff does? Alpha-keratins include hair, wool, nails, claws, horns and hooves: which of these are readily digested? ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/15 "2012-10-27T06:38:19Z")
> [@For You](#): > > Alpha-keratins include hair, wool, nails, claws, horns and hooves: which of these are readily digested? Why doesn’t hair at least get all mushy enough to just pass through and out the other end, like cellulose fibrous stuff in vegetables? Why hair balls? ---
**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/16 "2012-10-27T09:14:42Z")
I recommend shaving. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/17 "2012-10-27T10:12:44Z")
Start your own fetish thread, perv! ---
**Author:** ![toadspittle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@toadspittle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadspittle)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/18 "2012-10-27T17:55:43Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > ] > It seems to be more common with long hair but one noteworthy case of hairball via moustache was [Josef Mengele](http://www.spiegel.de/international/spiegel/josef-mengele-in-brazil-angel-of-death-diary-shows-no-regrets-a-330311.html). After going into exile in Brazil he developed a nervous habit of chewing the ends of his moustache hair and developed a gastric obstruction that required surgery to remove. Small signs of justice in the universe… ---
**Author:** ![Simple\_Linctus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Simple\_Linctus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simple_Linctus)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2012, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/19 "2012-10-27T23:57:55Z")
> [@For You](#): > > So the hair you pull from your teeth is _your own_??? I’m not pulling it from my teeth. I’m using my teeth to cut it. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2012, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-stomach-hairballs-inevitable-when-eating-facial-hair/638997/20 "2012-10-28T02:44:29Z")
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