A Strange Habit!

[M.McDonough]

Okay. So some people collect their hair which is just a weird quirk.
Why is that and do you do it?

[vpatt]

I have not done that. But somewhere in the abyss I have the memory of hearing that back in the day hair was saved to be used as filling for pin cushions. Also, somewhere on this forum I read that you could save your own hair and form it into a donut to be used for updos. And just to add to the weirdness, back when I had babies I was taught to run diaper pins thru my hair so that they would slide thru the diapers easier. It works on cloth diapers due to scalp oil, I believe.

:silly:

[spidermom]

Nope - never have, never will.

[Robi-Bird]

With my GAD and SAD I know if I tracked my shedding I would probably drive myself into a tailspin fretting over every hair. I have PCOS so loosing my hair is an actual possibility. So this is one habit I will not be adopting.

[M.McDonough]

With my GAD and SAD I know if I tracked my shedding I would probably drive myself into a tailspin fretting over every hair. I have PCOS so loosing my hair is an actual possibility. So this is one habit I will not be adopting.

You will not lose your hair!

[Robi-Bird]

You will not lose your hair!

Ha ha, thanks! So far so good!

[Arctic]

I think that habit can be divided into different sub-categories.

a) The ones who temporarily collect hair strands to count them and to try to keep tabs on their shedding rate. Or use the collected strands for strand testing henna or hair dye, etc. Usually these people will discart the hairs after a while.
b) The ones who have saved a ponytail/braid they have cut off at some point previously.
c) those who save a lock of hair of a loved one, or from the time they were babies themselves (so their parents have actually cut the locks and saved them for them).
d) those who collect hair to make hair rats/donuts
e) those who collect pet's hair with intention of making it into yarn or felted

The above is usually "clean hair" and make somewhat vaguely sense to me (some more than others).


Then there are few "dirty hair", or "not making sense to me" sub-categories.

f) those who kick their sheds in the corner of a shower/bathroom, and only clean those off irregularly
g) those who do the above, but never toss the hairballs
h) those who collect pet hair and never throw it away or do anything with it
i) those who collect big clumps of "clean" hair but never toss it or do anything with it


I hope I won't offend anyone, but I do think the latter group of sub-categories is not very "normal", what ever that is. The last 3 would fall into the hoarder profile quite easily.


ETA: And no, I don't collect or save my hairs, and never have. I do have a baby book that holds a lock of my hair from when I was a child. My mother made that book to me.

[parkmikii]

Me! I have been keeping up on shed hairs in a box and washing them regularly to make a hair rat. I do this to avoid backcombing as I find it a bit damaging.

[VeggiePixie]

Victorians would actually make art with hair, usually that of a deceased loved one. It's pretty intricate stuff, albeit a little creepy.

[lapushka]

Apart from having a ponytail from 4/5th grade, I don't "collect" any hair at all. I do think collecting for hair rats or strand testing falls in the realm of "normal", as is keeping a baby lock. Other things, not so much.

[missblueeyes]

I also have a ponytail from when I decided to get a hair makeover but other than that, I don't keep any hair that leaves my head for whatever reason. :P

[missrandie]

I kept a hold of my pony tails from my chops out of regret and as a reminder of what I had and will have again.

Once I have long hair again, I may get rid of them. Or I may sew them into clip in extensions for myself. Or make them into clip in bangs! What better way to color match than to use your own hair?

[spidermom]

Oh - I take that never part back. I kept the braid when my son had his long hair cut.

[Kaelbu]

I've stuck strands to the shower wall to keep them from clogging the drain. Then I'd forget to throw them away. Also, when I was having my postpartum shed, I actually paid attention to how much I was losing, but didn't do anything different. It definitely collected, but not on purpose.

I also keep a few locks of my children's first hair cuts in a zip lock bag. Because I'm sentimental. :)

[Agnes Hannah]

I've stuck strands to the shower wall to keep them from clogging the drain. Then I'd forget to throw them away. Also, when I was having my postpartum shed, I actually paid attention to how much I was losing, but didn't do anything different. It definitely collected, but not on purpose.

I also keep a few locks of my children's first hair cuts in a zip lock bag. Because I'm sentimental. :)

I also stick hairs onto the bathroom tiles when in the shower! I scoop them up and save them for my hair rats though. I also have hairs from my sons' when they were babies.

[AZDesertRose]

I'm also one who sticks shed hairs to the wall of the shower to prevent them clogging the drain, but those get discarded into the bin unless I want to do some sort of strand test on my hair (like I did before I started using henna to make sure I actually liked the color it would turn my hair).

I've thought of making rats with my shed hair, but I honestly can't be bothered. It's just not high on the list of projects I want to do.

[Gamma Vector]

I don't save the hair I lose in the shower, but I do save the hair I lose while dry combing/BBBing my hair. I use it for hair rats, and I have used it for strand testing bleach back when I wasn't sure how would be best to lighten my hair.

My mother has an odd habit, though. When my little sister cut her hair from knee-length to hip, my mother asked her to save the ponytail. She did, and my mother made needle lace with it. Lovely, but also quite strange. My mom is one of those who spins the fluff off her cats into yarn, though. She's not got enough yet to knit something out of her cat yarn, but it's remarkably soft.

[Parisian Dozen]

There was some hair collection thread while back. It was something about documenting shed hair or something like that. Anyways, I saw it as a challenge to see who had the biggest hairball... Turns out I did...

[Carolyn]

I have a 7" ponytail I had cut off in December of 2013 and I have a boutique Kleenex box of hair that I've cleaned out of my brushes. The hair in the Kleenex box is being saved for a pin cushion. I do wool applique. So some day I will get around to that. Is that a back in the day kind of thing? I would never throw away a ponytail or donate one. It's a treasured keepsake. I don't see either one as being a hoarder.

[Aurum]

I don't save human hair, but I do have a sealed Ziploc bag of my collie's hair from a few years ago. Her undercoat was (and is) so unbelievably soft, clean, and fluffy that I decided to save some of the best quality hair to make something out of. I kid you not, the stuff is like lamb's wool. I just haven't gotten around to using it or having someone make yarn from it. I hope that doesn't come across as too weird! :run:

[Othala]

Oh, I admit I am weird.

I have in the past collected al my shed hairs during the course of a year and then attached clumps of it on tree branches in the early Spring for the birds to use as nesting material. It is very popular for that purpose and I get a kick out of watching the birds tease a bit of hair out from the clump and take it to "feather" their nests.

My hair is turning white and when I have pure white waist length hairs, I intend to save each one that sheds in order to ultimately make a wig for myself when I am an older lady.

Ha! Weird and proud!

[vpatt]

I don't save human hair, but I do have a sealed Ziploc bag of my collie's hair from a few years ago. Her undercoat was (and is) so unbelievably soft, clean, and fluffy that I decided to save some of the best quality hair to make something out of. I kid you not, the stuff is like lamb's wool. I just haven't gotten around to using it or having someone make yarn from it. I hope that doesn't come across as too weird! :run:



I'm a spinner and it is not unusual for people to have pet fiber spun into yarn.

[Nadine <3]

I have been collecting my shed hairs and hair from trims along with my cats brushed undercoat in a large bag. I'm donating it to an organization that uses the fibers to mob up oil spills.

[woodswanderer]

We found a bag with someone's ponytail in it when we were going through my grandma's house after her death. It wasn't her color, it isn't my color or my mom's or aunt's color. We really don't know who it was from. So....be sure to label your keepsake ponytail.;)

[Arctic]

I have been collecting my shed hairs and hair from trims along with my cats brushed undercoat in a large bag. I'm donating it to an organization that uses the fibers to mob up oil spills.

That's a noble cause, kudos!

[MadHouseWitch]

Nope, not a hair collector (unless you count babies first haircut locks) IF I did I could probably fill a room by now, I SHED a LOT, always have prob always will. I had a major shed after my youngest, and/or IUD insertion that I still have not quite recovered from, my hair used to be much thicker and it could be age, but I'm not too worked up about losing what I lost, it makes it less poofy! It did thin out a bit more than I would have liked but still enough that hairdressers say I have "a lot of hair" but here it is "average" and that is okay!
My Mother shed a ton too, so it is prob a genetic thing. ALTHOUGH it could be some with thyroid issues too, I'm testing out a low dose to see if it helps so maybe I'll get some hair back! Again I am not holding my breath if it does not.

But yeah, SOME things I can see as normal, others, not so much. Though I know of some who will save and dispose of it in a way they prefer, *cough* some Witches/Pagans are really concerned about hair, others not so worried :grin:
I've also heard conflicting things about hair after a trim some throw it to the birds and others don't (as the superstition is that it will cause a headache due to bird chatter) Me I say the birds need warm nests!

[MadHouseWitch]

I saw one once who spun her own hair into an outfit, the thought alone makes me itch
I spin too, and I can see Pomeranian or husky fur, my Beagle or Chi/terrier mix not so much haha

[kitcatsmeow]

I sometimes "save" brush hair to do color "experiments" on. Basically color swatches and or using lightener or various products to see how my hair will react before I put it on my hair and end up with a hideous color or fried hair.