A 16-year-old had a large clump of hair removed from her stomach after spending a decade chewing her barnet.
The Russian teen suffered from Rapunzel syndrome, which sparked an addiction to ingesting her own tresses.
After battling this rare disorder for ten years, half a kilo of hair had gathered inside her body.
Doctors performed an emergency op to remove the giant mass – which posed a major threat to her health.
The patient sought treatment in the Siberian city of Tomsk.
Medics were stunned by the size of the hair ball, which took up 80% of the room in her stomach.
Doctor-in-chief Andrey Karavaev said the blockage had the potential to be very dangerous.
This is because the gastrointensinal tract was at risk of being completely blocked.
Surgeons removed the hair in an “urgent” op at Emergency Medicine Clinic Number Two in Tomsk, according to reports.
Following the procedure, the unnamed teenager is said to be “feel(ing) much better”.
Psychiatric treatment has also been recommended to help the patient deal with her hair-eating compulsions.
Rapunzel syndrome is medically known as trichophagia.
It is extremely rare and is sometimes associated with hair-pulling disorder trichotillomania.
Ingesting hair can cause bowel obstructions and masses forming in the stomach.
Those who are suffering with trichophagia should seek the advice of their GP.
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