Hair holds emotional weight and memories, so much so that cutting it off can be a form of letting go of those memories that hold trauma, and a tool of empowerment. Recently, the therapeutic chop has been trending on social media.
Existential psychotherapist Sara Kuburic agrees with the need to feel in control as a large motive behind emotional haircuts. She shares that it “can also boost our confidence and make us feel better about ourselves. A hair change can mark a new beginning or be symbolic of letting go (literally).”
It is symbolic of letting go of the past, getting out of our hair whatever has been troubling us, cutting old ties and lightening the load to go forwards into a new future.”
Why do many women cry after getting their hair chopped? Getting a major haircut is a significant change in your appearance. This makes the person getting change both more sensitive and more emotional. Most people getting such a change have an idea of how they will look.
In times of distress, we may seek different means of escape, such as a major haircut, instead of recognizing how making a drastic, and possibly regrettable, change to our appearance will only give us a fleeting sense of agency, argues Newman.
The emotional shedding process
A breakup or other traumatic experience are common times for us women to cut their hair as we see it is the one thing we can take immediate control of; we all know it is often a struggle to adjust our feelings and move on right away.
"When you feel poorly, it is natural to make changes to your external body in the hopes that it will make you feel better internally as well," Berman told InStyle. "There is something about a drastic cut that can feel cathartic after a break-up, like you are cutting off the dead weight and becoming lighter and freer."
“Tonsurephobia is the fear of getting a haircut. This something Samson had, for sure, but it is also something to a lesser extent some men fear when they enter a barber shop. This anxiety is increasingly the case when you get a little older.
“It's likely we are hardwired to feel emotionally connected to our hair,” says psychologist Vivian Diller, PhD. “We've associated it with status, wealth, and royalty since ancient times. Thick, rich hair has always meant health, sensuality, and youth, so it continues to mean that to women today.”
Summary: Hair samples from teens could help detect their risk of mental health problems. Researchers found teens with higher cortisol levels in hair samples were more likely to experience depression. Low cortisol levels were also linked to an increased risk of mental health issues.
A Cut Can Help With Mental Health
Our hair can have an intense connection to our emotional well-being. Studies have shown that cutting one's hair (especially when going through a traumatic life change, such as a breakup) can provide a sense of control and emotional release.
“Making a change like cutting your hair can feel good because you're taking action. When you take action, there's a feeling of accomplishment. If you change your hair and it feels good, there's a payoff — a freeing feeling that's like having agency in the world.”
Legally, cutting off a person's hair without permission generally counts as assault. But parents have guardianship over a child, so they can make decisions for it, and the laws of assault do not apply to children, only adults.
Emotional stress, such as loss of a loved one, work-related pressure, financial troubles or parenting problems, can cause hair loss. These changes in mood can trigger hormonal imbalances, which lead to hair loss, often through telogen effluvium.
Hair holds both positive and negative energy. It is an extension of our mind holding our thoughts, emotions, stress, hopes, and fears. Cutting our hair is healthy not only for our hair, but for our overall well-being.”
Whether you are looking for a new style or you just want to change your look, hair styles can make a huge difference. Your mood can also change when you get a new haircut.
The “awkward stage” occurs when you have decided that you no longer want short hair and you will instead grow it out. Everyone's awkward stage is a bit different depending on their styles, but inevitably, you will find that your hair looks shaggy, uneven, or simply messy at some point in the process.
Sure-thing you already have noticed that if you keep the same path, or if you curl your hair or straighten it every time you blow-dry it, or even if you keep your hair in a tail... when you want to make a change, your hair will always go on the styling it was used to.
Newman says that changing our physical appearance can feel like shedding a layer of skin which makes us feel better. It's normal to go through physical change after stressful experiences. It's “an effort to construct a particular kind of self,” explains researcher Kiecolt.
The notion of the "trauma haircut" — that is, making a drastic hair change during or after times of distress — is a pretty common one.
For someone with bipolar, depression may become so intense that the sufferer is willing to inflict self-harm in order to escape or relieve his emotions. These self-mutilating acts (cutting, hair pulling, excessive scratching or head-banging) are dangerous in the moment and can leave lasting emotional scars.
Children are perhaps most likely to develop a trauma bond when exposed to sexual exploitation and targeted grooming. Sometimes, they may never have experienced physical intimacy, and grooming tactics can lead them to believe that their abuser has genuine feelings for them, and that their behaviour is normal.