Fighting urge to cut all my hair off

[Veryirritating]

I feel like hacking all my hair off. Is that self harm?

Depends why you want to do it.

Just hate myself

Why do you want to do that? You may regret it.

I did this during my last episode. Shaved my head a la Britney. As far as I recall I felt better for doing it and it is safer than other ways of self harming. I’ve since kept my hair really short as I realised how much time, money and effort hair takes up. It might not be right for you having said all that. I hated myself too at the time but six months on am here to tell you in six months time you might not feel the same as you do today. Sending you love and light.

Me too, I've felt like this since August and I still don't understand how I haven't.

What?? Your hair strands are not alive. Have you never had a haircut before?

Ah I see. Ignore my previous remark. Yeah I get that. Cutting my hair always makes me feel better. Trying a new style or color works better though. Do you enjoy anything creative? That makes me feel right in myself, something I'm working on currently too. Try something creative and see if that makes you feel alive in a good way. Also hair grows back, it's fine to cut. Pixie styles are super cute too.

Then yes, it's self harm. Do you think you'll hate yourself less if you do it? What would make you feel better?

I think I’d regret it because it will be impossible to hide indoors. Don’t want to have to explain it to MH team. Probably better to get any frustration and self hate out by self harm that is hidden.

why do you want to do it?

Self harm is hurting yourself physically to replace emotional pain.

Cutting your hair isn’t self-harm.

How did you cover it up so people didn’t realise?

Ok; good

Could you dye it instead? I always find dying my hair helps, and just makes me feel better. Having it long isn't too much upkeep for me, as I just put it in a ponytail or up in a messy bun. When it is shorter I actually find it more maintenance to get it to look right!

I don’t think I want to make myself feel better. I deserve to suffer.

I get that you feel this, but nothing you have done makes you deserve to suffer.

And when I shaved my head I think it was about making myself suffer and shaming myself- so I suppose I wanted people to notice and think I was a crazy woman.

I can’t stress too much to you though- I don’t feel that way now. You don’t deserve the punishment you think you do. Hang in there and reach out to someone you trust if you can.

Thanks for your kind words @OldPodge
I’m so pleased to hear that things have improved for you now.

While obviously it is better to seek help than to look for what sounds like ways to punish yourself or a relentless intrusive thought and you should confide in your gp and ask for help, I'll be honest - I do it.

I shaved my head recently. This is me right now. I have alopecia as well as mhp including suicidal ideation and it brings relief. The stress affects the alopecia, the alopecia makes my mental health worse - I clip it then shave it to skin. Hair grows back and you can get fantastic wigs for about a hundred quid.

It doesn't cause scars or harm you physically in any way and as a coping mechanism it's not the worst in the world.

Please ask your GP for some help. You don't have to suffer silently
💐

Looks good @IncompleteSenten
My hair is falling out too as a result of the combined effects of psoriasis and starving myself

I don't know that cutting hair off is necessarily self harm. But I do relate.
I remember once seeing a film about a grieving couple; the woman cut all of her beautiful long hair off. So I've always wondered (but it was fictional).
I have done this twice. Someone else confided in me that she did this as a form of self harm. I did it once in lockdown, and another time recently. Both times my MH wasn't great.
I had other reasons to do it though. It's really damaged, so it's about starting over. I wanted to go back to my natural colour, but trying to dye it looked awful.
I went to two different hairdressers to get a bob that I liked, and they didn't do what I asked. So I lost patience, got out the scissors and hacked it all off, put layers in it too. It doesn't look great but I like how it feels so much that I'm keeping it like this until all of it is virgin hair.
Does the fact that I don't really care indicate my MH is bad? I'm not sure. It's not something I'd normally do.

Perhaps it's better to treat yourself to a nice haircut in a salon. A change might make you feel good.

@Veryirritating How are you doing?

I used to have the urge to do this. It's really odd. I never actually did it though.

I’m doing ok, thanks @OldPodge
i haven’t cut my hair off but it is falling out rapidly anyway as I have been starving myself for a few months as well. Quite thrilling in a sick kind of way to see the amount of hair in the bath after washing it this evening.
I don’t want to have to explain what I have done to my psychiatrist and therapist if I did hack all my hair off,

Why do you think you wanted to do it @Toddlerteaplease and what stopped you?