Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Can’t stop cutting hair- now too short

56 replies

CyanDog · 28/02/2025 20:18

Looking for advice please. When I’m stressed or wanting change I cut my hair. It’s gone from down my back and a bit messy to an extremely short bob. I started by cutting it to my shoulders which looked great, but obsessively kept “trimming” as it looked uneven and now it’s by my chin and does not look good at all.
any ideas how to salvage this please / tips for disguising a bad bob? How long to grow out?? I’m so frustrated with myself.

OP posts:
Brinkley22 · 28/02/2025 20:56

CyanDog · 28/02/2025 20:18

Looking for advice please. When I’m stressed or wanting change I cut my hair. It’s gone from down my back and a bit messy to an extremely short bob. I started by cutting it to my shoulders which looked great, but obsessively kept “trimming” as it looked uneven and now it’s by my chin and does not look good at all.
any ideas how to salvage this please / tips for disguising a bad bob? How long to grow out?? I’m so frustrated with myself.

I used to do this… with cuts and colour every time I felt uneasy; stressed; unsatisfied; ill at ease; restless. I also used to pull out my hair when stressed too.
I think what might be helpful to do, if you can, is to pause the next time you have the urge to change it and see if you can tap into a recognise what the feeling is… how are you feeling just before that urge? If you can do that a couple of times then you can see if there is a bit of a pattern in terms of the feeling that leads to it. From there, you may be able to think about an alternative thing you could do instead.
as others have said, you might want to think this through in therapy too
also for me I made a rule that I was not to do anything to my hair in between hairdressers… I’m quite stubborn so it worked! And I imagined my beloved niece doing what I was doing to her hair
good luck

Nitgel · 28/02/2025 20:36

I did this years ago. It was horrific and j wonder why I was so obsessed. What helped was finding a good hairdresser who could sort it then leave it. It took years to get over it and when I look at photos from that time I'm horrified. I would try.cbt perhaps.

ThinWomansBrain · 28/02/2025 20:31

it's hair
it will grow again

Internationalwomendayheadquarters · 28/02/2025 20:29

I also do this, but it’s only now that I’m feeling better mentally that I recognise what it was.

I used to go for a pixie chop or harsh short bob which never suited me but was sort of act of desperation, as though I could shed layers of something.

I’m with the person suggesting therapy to try and sort out your why.

For now, don’t stress and own it - it’s a part of your journey and you can be positive from this moment on. We are all more than our hair.

Penguinmouse · 28/02/2025 20:26

Put the scissors down and get to a hairdresser to fix. It might also be worth some therapy to address the deeper issues with why you cut your hair when stressed, it sounds like compulsive behaviour.

NarnianQueen · 28/02/2025 20:25

Don't do anything else to it yourself! At that length you can't hide errors!

Get yourself to a hairdresser, having googled first to find short haircuts you can show them for inspiration