Hi all,

Excited to share with you today some of my interview with PopSugar on the topic of why Social Distancing might want to make us change our hair during quarantine from a psychology perspective. A big thank you to PopSugar for having me, and thank you to other publications who picked it up as well, such as The List and Cosmopolitan. Without further delay, let’s dive in and chat why the current situation might inspire you to change your hair as today’s Dr. C’s Tips!

Stress and Changing Your Hair

When we experience stress, it’s our natural inclination to want to do something, anything, to respond, adapt and cope with the stressor, especially when said stressor is uncontrollable and unexpected.

And there are many ways to do so. People typically deal with stress in one of eight ways: by getting angry, by distancing themselves from the stressor, by accepting responsibility, by seeking support from friends, family or a psychologist, by escaping, by engaging in planful problem-solving, by seeking control, or by something known as positive reappraisal, which is finding a way to see the benefit or value from the stressor.

people typically deal with stress in one of eight ways: by getting angry, by distancing themselves from the stressor, by accepting responsibility, by seeking support from friends, family or a psychologist, by escaping, by engaging in planful problem-solving, by seeking control, or by something known as positive reappraisal, which is finding a way to see the benefit or value from the stressor”.

Cutting our hair or changing our physical appearance falls into 3 different types of coping and can be seen as a common reaction to a stressful event, such as the pandemic we’re all currently facing. These include, wanting to gain control of the stressor (i.e., changing our appearance is a form of gaining control), seek social support (i.e., this is a nonverbal way to ask for help or match a social group), and wanting to grow out of adversity (i.e., positive reappraisal) – think: “I came out looking better after the quarantine”.

Stressors, like the pandemic can heighten or create dissatisfaction with our personal body image and wanting to make a change to our appearance can be the result of us wanting to improve our self-image and naturally feel better.

Should you cut your hair during quarantine?

Personally, I see nothing wrong with helping your man or family member trim their hair or wanting to touch up your roots. But before making any big change like cutting your bangs or using a permanent dye, make sure you’ve thought about this over time and that it isn’t an impulsive decision – otherwise you may regret it later on! If you decide to go for it and cut your bangs or use permanent hair dye make sure you’re prepared and have watched tutorials and have consulted with your hair stylist first – they may be able to guide you or provide an alternative like a hair color dye that washes out to test out the change first or an option to “try out bangs”.

One cautionary tip before signing off is if you or know of anyone that is continuously making frequent drastic changes to their physical appearance, that may be an indicator that you or they are experiencing emotional distress and may be in need of support – that may be a great time to reach out to seek or offer help from a trained clinical psychologist.

Thanks for reading.

Xo,

Dr. C