Hair Habit Messages

Hair Habit Messages

Your hair habit messages are very clear.  Really?  Yes indeed, your hair habit messages tell observers more than you might want them to know about the real you  according to Dr. Elayne Kahn and David Rudnitsky who wrote the book, 1001 More Ways You Reveal Your Personality.

Listed below are some examples of your hair habit messages:

1.  Hair twirlers - According to Dr. Kahn and Rudnitsky, people who twirl their hair are very self conscious about their appearance.

Even so, while they are self conscious about how they look or how their hair looks, hair twirlers tend to have a healthy dose of vanity. Kahn and Rudnitsky believe twirling hair in public also signals that you don't mind displaying your faults to the world.

Some experts believe hair twirling is a body-language clue meaning "leave me alone."  Others believe it's just a nervous habit.  For others it can have a lot more complex psychological meanings or hair habit messages.  It's considered by some experts to be a form of self-manipulation.

Most hair twirlers always twirl with the same fingers and/or hand.  More often than not they tend to twirl the same section of hair on or near the same place on the scalp.   After a point hair twirling becomes an unconscious pattern or hair habit messages which are considered to be bad habits. 

Trichotiollomania

During hair twirling one section or strand of hair is twirled, wrapped and interwoven through the fingers and then twisted up tightly into a knot against the scalp.  The finished hair twirl is released, untangled and then the process starts all over.

Some therapists believe hair twirling is a mild form of hair pulling known as trichotiollomania where the hair is twirled and then pulled out of the scalp.  Hair twirling may or may not be related to trichotiollomania.

Hair twirling can be instantly cured by cutting hair so short there is not enough length to twirl.

2.  Hair End Pinching - Some people pinch the ends of their hair and rub the ends over their fingers.  Another habit is to pick, pull or rip at real or imagined split ends.  This hair behavior is also considered another form of self-manipulation.

People who pinch the ends of their hair or pick at the ends may be revealing unconscious aggression directed at themselves.  This person is very hard on themselves or very critical of their looks.  However, they tend to be fair to others.  Other meanings include pure boredom, absent mindedness or lack of concentration.

3.  Hair Flipping - This hair habit message is considered a classic form of hair play performed by both women and some men.  Successful hair flipping or hair tossing requires long enough hair to achieve the desired flipping.

Some experts believe hair flipping is performed in order to make the flipper appear sexually alluring. It is a form of non-verbal, behavioral pheromone.  A full hair flip happens when the flipper tilts their head down and then throws it back, their long hair sweeping forward and then back and across the shoulders.  A partial hair flip can be performed with a long side-swept fringe or even with a properly positioned ponytail.

It's important to note that hair flipping isn't necessarily always a conscious act.  For some people, hair play has become an unconscious habit which means if someone is constantly flipping their hair in front of others, it doesn't necessarily mean they are romantically or sexually interested in the other person.

4.  Hair Biting - This sends a very clear hair habit message of stress. Therapists refer to hair biting as a form of tensional outlet.  Children often engage in hair biting or even hair eating as a way to help reduce internal tension which results from anxiety and/or fear.

Although some might worry that hair biting done by children or even adults if harmful, it's not nearly as concerning for small children than it is for adults who may be displaying some early form of trichotiollomania.  However, most therapists consider hair biting to be harmless which children will outgrown and adults perform as a form of stress.

Summary

Should you worry about any of these hair habit messages?  Only if you or your loved ones feel it is a major problem in your life.

Of course it never hurts to talk to a professional about any nervous habits to determine if they could lead to other problems.  However, if you feel fine about your hair habit messages then just go with the flow.