hair superstitions? Cultural or otherwise?

[intothemist1999]

I was wondering if you know of any hair-related superstitions.

For instance, one of my high-school chums said her grandmother (Chinese) FLIPPED when my chum wore a green barrette in her hair and pretty much yanked it out. Apparently it's BIG TIME bad luck to have green in your hair.


Anyone heard of others?

[MAO]

My indian friend believes that keeping your hair braided or in a low pony tail helps your hair grow longer. She thinks that pulling on the roots helps it. :confused: However she has beautiful thick long black hair and always has it in a low pony.

[wantslonglocks]

huh...I had never heard of any of these believes....they are interesting to read! I hope to see more :)

[litlepick]

only two I can think of are cutting hair makes it grow and prenatal vitamins make hair grow faster...

[Odile]

My grandmother always said if you washed your hair when "Aunt Flo" was visiting, it would make your cramps worse.

(it doesn't)

[Citrine]

I don't know of any hair superstitions off the top of my head, but it's funny that you mentioned Chinese people and green in hair. My Chinese professor told my class that if a man were to wear a green hat, it meant that his wife was cheating on him :hmm: There must be something about wearing green items on your head.

[HairColoredHair]

Is it bad that hearing that green in ones hair is unlucky makes me want to wear green in my hair?

[Sissy]

only two I can think of are cutting hair makes it grow and prenatal vitamins make hair grow faster...

I had only heard of these two, the others are new to me. And, are the two above superstitions or truths? At least, the prenatal vitamins one is true?

[Bene]

i heard if someone is envious of your hair and they touch it, your hair will start to fall out. it was something about other ppl's envy about something of yours, which will make you lose it.

[Alia]

Just the bats-caught-in-hair thing...:crazyq:

[litlepick]

Just the bats-caught-in-hair thing...:crazyq:
seen it happen... NOT pleasant

[vampodrama]

here we have a superstition that if you cut your own hair, you will also "cut away" your sanity...

[Calanthe]

Now, that's an interesting thread...

Here are some more:

Always burn hair, which fell out or you ripped out. If a bird carried that hair into its nest, you'll get a headache or you end up blind, depending on the bird.

Don't wrap a newborn baby in fur - the child will grow fur, too.

Don't cut your baby's hair before his or her first birthday - the child will become stupid.

[Country Cowcurl]

hmmm, i've heard the "don't throw your hair outside" thing before....but i've never known why!! and my grandmother also warned us to watch our stray hairs around canadian indians.....something about them knowing witchcraft?? or maybe she just wanted us to keep away from them :uhh:

[Auryn]

The one about prenatal vitamins in partially true. The hair that grows in while their being taken tends to grow in stronger. I've known many pregnant women whose hair is just gorgeous and shiny and it's because of all the extra vitamins they are getting.

[Kimberly]

Cut your hair a quarter inch at the new moon to make it grow in thicker.

[squiggyflop]

The one about prenatal vitamins in partially true. The hair that grows in while their being taken tends to grow in stronger. I've known many pregnant women whose hair is just gorgeous and shiny and it's because of all the extra vitamins they are getting.
i thought it was from the hormones.. even women who dont take prenatals get that beautiful pregnancy growth and shine..

[Sunshine69]

my mother in law believes that you should cut your hair during a specific time in the lunar cycle in order for it to grow fast and strong. I think she cuts it when it's waxing.

[litlepick]

i thought it was from the hormones.. even women who dont take prenatals get that beautiful pregnancy growth and shine..
yep just hormones, I explained in the prenatal thread (but everyone can have there own opinion) :cheese:

[Payal80]

My indian friend believes that keeping your hair braided or in a low pony tail helps your hair grow longer. She thinks that pulling on the roots helps it. :confused: However she has beautiful thick long black hair and always has it in a low pony.


I second that since I have also been listening to those kind of suggestions.
my reasoning is that maybe they think that keeping hair braided or in low ponytail helps the roots to stay strong and healthy, maybe similar like healthy gum's =strong tooth ?

[winter_star]

When I was younger everybody would tell me "If you don't eat your crust, your hair won't go curly..." I was very gullible and wanted curly hair desperately.

[jera]

Cut your hair a quarter inch at the new moon to make it grow in thicker.

Kimberlily, I think you're supposed to cut it on the full moon for increased thickness and on the new moon for more length.

Native Americans believe your hair is imbued with your spirit and trimmed hair should be buried. Nice thought. :)

[flapjack]

I've heard of white being a bad color in Chinese culture (generally) but the green thing is interesting. White stands for death, though. Don't give the mother of your Chinese girlfriend white carnations as a gift when you meet her... little tip from a friend of mine, hahaha. Poor guy.

I know a couple Russian ones... an odd number of flowers on anything, in anything, received, etc. is bad luck and basically a deathwish. So putting an odd number of flowers in your hair is not good. Rubbing castor oil on your scalp helps you hair grow thicker (which is actually true for some people). I actually heard that from my grandma before I found out from the internet and posted my results on the board here.

[logica_divina]

I've also heard the one about gently pulling your hair. It is supposed to make the roots stronger. And yes, sometimes it works. I do it when I remember. And whenever I do it before washing I do shed less during the wash.

[Jeni]

When I was younger everybody would tell me "If you don't eat your crust, your hair won't go curly..." I was very gullible and wanted curly hair desperately.

My grandmother use to tell me the same thing. When I was 9 I realized she was a big old liar after eating crust for 2 years and seeing no change to my stick straight hair. :(

I have also heard the thing about cutting hair to make it thicker/grow faster.

[RavennaNight]

my mother in law believes that you should cut your hair during a specific time in the lunar cycle in order for it to grow fast and strong. I think she cuts it when it's waxing.

I do this. Does it work? Who knows. No harm in trying. The Farmers Almanac tells you when to cut to encourage growth. It usually is a waxing-full moon.

[Loviatar]

I cut my hair according to the Morrocco Method moon calendar. Does it work? I dont know, but my trims even out to 3 a year rather than OMG I must cut every month, which always ends in my trimming too much.

I used to burn my cut hair. I didnt like the idea of anyone being able to use a discarded part of my body for anything. I would burn my nail cuttings too.

[Anje]

The green thing is interesting, especially since I've gotten positive comments about my green hairstick from Chinese coworkers. As a redhead, I'm going to insist on wearing green anyway.

The burning your hair so the birds don't get it is strange to me too. I used to throw the hairs from my brush outside for the birds when I cleaned it.

[Jeni]

snip...

The burning your hair so the birds don't get it is strange to me too. I used to throw the hairs from my brush outside for the birds when I cleaned it.

I do this too or I did before I started keeping it for henna tests.

[Mebo]

I always heard that if you pull a gray hair out, two will grow in its place.

I don't know if I believe that, but I never pull out a hair!

[ClareDee]

My granddad was an unoffical barber among his neighbours. One of the men who came to get his hair cut insisted on collecting all of the cut hair from the floor. He would put it all in an envelope and then tuck it in between the stones of the wall near his house.

He believed that, when you die, and if your entire body including hair is not all "accounted for" (i.e. is not all with you and cannot be found anywhere), your soul will roam the earth trying to find it. So he was terrified at the thought of someone throwing his hair shavings in the fire and his soul being in purgatorial turmoil over it for all time. Lol.

I don't think that's an official Irish cultural belief though... It was probably only that one strange guy who believed it. He might have the last laugh though - his soul was easily able to collect all the envelopes and file them away correctly in the Soul Repository Office, without any hitches, while others are rooting through the bins outside various barber shops, wailing into the wind etc. :shrug: ;)

[suicides_eve]

My indian friend believes that keeping your hair braided or in a low pony tail helps your hair grow longer. She thinks that pulling on the roots helps it. :confused: However she has beautiful thick long black hair and always has it in a low pony.


i have heard of the root pulling as well- tried it a few times too. bummer it never worked but it felt great!

[ReddishRocks]

Perhaps this is more paranoia than superstition, but we used to collect my hair when I got it cut so "they" wouldn't try to copy the color. :rolleyes: :D

I've heard the "don't pluck a gray because two will grow back" saying. I also heard that I shouldn't tie my hair up at night because it "needs a chance to breathe." :)

[Kleis]

I've run across several references to women who were ill from fever cutting their hair off so it wouldn't "sap their strength." I thought it was the stuff of novels until someone informed me--just to describe her attitude--that of course it was true. (She had very short hair when I knew her, so maybe was prone to fevers..? :lol:)

[Magicknthenight]

I've heard the "don't pluck a gray because two will grow back" saying.

haha yea i've heard that. except it was don't pluck a gray hair because two will come to its funeral. these are pretty interesting!!
I've heard breaking your comb/brush is bad luck. Though i don't know where that came from. I've heard the one about not throwing your hair out to the birds before and burning it but meh..don't wanna burn all my hair. I think i read a while ago that the Chinese new year day your not supposed to wash your hair or it will wash away your luck? I dunno if its true...still interesting though!

[tina1025]

I am an indian but i have never heard that before...lol....but then again i dont have long thick hair....
My indian friend believes that keeping your hair braided or in a low pony tail helps your hair grow longer. She thinks that pulling on the roots helps it. :confused: However she has beautiful thick long black hair and always has it in a low pony.

[tina1025]

HA i have heard this one and i started following it too.. i go by this calender http://www.almanac.com/astrology/index.php


Cut your hair a quarter inch at the new moon to make it grow in thicker.

[naomimcc]

seen it happen... NOT pleasant

I had a hummingbird stuck in my hair once!

[RedStripe]

Since this thread started with a Chinese superstition, it reminded me that I once overheard an older Chinese woman who used to own a vintage clothing store in the neighborhood talking about some hair-related superstition. I don't remember exactly what it was, but in searching for it I found these:

For the Lunar New Year (coming up soon, so be careful! January 26) -- do not cut your hair during the lunar New Year, because you will "cut" your prosperity and not have money during the year. Also you should not wash your hair during the first few days of the New Year because you will wash away the good luck of the new year. So, take care of this beforehand.

Also, you should not cut your hair on your birthday or you will have bad luck until your next birthday.

[cuddledumplin]

I always heard that if you pull a gray hair out, two will grow in its place.

I don't know if I believe that, but I never pull out a hair!

I've always heard that it's three, but I pull them out anyway, and I've not seen a proliferation of greys.

This isn't totally about hair, but kind of is. Here in England, they say that it is good luck if a bird poops on your head. I've never seen the logic in that one.

[Coriander]

This isn't totally about hair, but kind of is. Here in England, they say that it is good luck if a bird poops on your head. I've never seen the logic in that one.

I've been pooped on more than once and haven't noticed it as a good luck charm :hmm: Just an opportunity to wash my hair lol

[MrsGuther]

I'm from south Georgia originally, and we have a bit of a hair superstition there: If you let your hair grow out to be long and beautiful, then you will get married to a handsome man and you will be happy... on the other hand, if a woman should cut her hair short, supposedly southern men will find her unnattractive (or less attractive). My father still encourages me to grow my hair out long because he believes a woman's long hair makes her very beautiful.

[spidermom]

If you cut your hair on a new moon day, it will grow back quicker -- from sometime/somewhere in the old south USA.

[CaraLynn]

I had a hummingbird stuck in my hair once!


Violin bow here: yes, while my friend was playing. I leaned over a little too close to her because I was trying to avoid whacking my other friend in the head with my flute and the bow caught in my up do. :rolleyes:


And the only superstitions I've heard have been mentioned: Don't pull a gray hair or two will grow in it's place
And cover your head when you see a bat or it will nest in your hair.

[LittleLlama]

More baby related, but still hair-

The more heartburn a pregnant mother has, the more hair the baby will have.

Mexican families insist that infants need their heads SHAVED so the "good" hair will grow in. Boys and girls.

[intothemist1999]

Mexican families insist that infants need their heads SHAVED so the "good" hair will grow in. Boys and girls.

Interesting! My childhood friend (Italian) had her adorable ringlets shaved off at age 5, but our understanding that "good" hair meant thick! I never realized there could be a superstition component to it!

I can't remember what they did with the brother, but he always did have super short hair.

[SimplyLonghair]

I've always heard that it's three, but I pull them out anyway, and I've not seen a proliferation of greys.

This isn't totally about hair, but kind of is. Here in England, they say that it is good luck if a bird poops on your head. I've never seen the logic in that one.Sure you do.....fertilizer to make it grow
:bs:Not!

[LadyEliza]

My mother and aunty are both in the "you have to cut hair to make it grow" camp. Also to make it grow thick and strong. As if anything you do to the ends can affect the roots...

And talking about roots my mother and aunty also told us that when a hair dresser cuts hair and it gets on their arms it burrows in and takes root and grows.

Don't these two have EYES???

They frustrate me - does it show? :)

[Bene]

i just remembered another one. if a pregnant woman cuts your hair, it'll grow faster. better yet if she does it when the moon is supposed to be full.

[mira-chan]

I've heard of white being a bad color in Chinese culture (generally) but the green thing is interesting. White stands for death, though. Don't give the mother of your Chinese girlfriend white carnations as a gift when you meet her... little tip from a friend of mine, hahaha. Poor guy.

I know a couple Russian ones... an odd number of flowers on anything, in anything, received, etc. is bad luck and basically a deathwish. So putting an odd number of flowers in your hair is not good. Rubbing castor oil on your scalp helps you hair grow thicker (which is actually true for some people). I actually heard that from my grandma before I found out from the internet and posted my results on the board here.

It's actually the opposite. Even numbers are put on graves, only odd numbers are given to the living. :flower:
Castor and also Burdock oil things are true.


I've always heard that it's three, but I pull them out anyway, and I've not seen a proliferation of greys.

This isn't totally about hair, but kind of is. Here in England, they say that it is good luck if a bird poops on your head. I've never seen the logic in that one.
The bird poop thing is in Russia too. My poor mum should be very lucky by now with the luck she has when it come to bird poos on the head. :laugh:

In Russia there's also a belief that if you cut very long hair to a very short length, it will never grow back to the same long length or thickness.

[lynnala]

If you cut bangs your length will grow slower because all your hair energy is going into growing the bangs to match the length.

[vampodrama]

we have the bird poop thing here too. actually it means here that if a bird poops on your head, you will become very rich. because for some reason we equal **** with money. as in, if you dream of poop in some form, you will become rich. and there are many proverbs and sayings that equal the two. funny, if you think of it this way...

and most people seem to believe that if you don't cut your hair, it will not grow. a little while ago at work we were discussing hairdressers and I commented that I haven't had a haircut for several months. one of my colleagues widened her eyes in shock and said "what? but your hair has gotten so long! how does it grow so long when you don't cut it???" I burst into laughter and spent quite a while explaining to her that if you don't cut your hair, it DOES indeed get longer... but I don't think she got my point.

[Miyani]

I've heard of the don't pluck gray hair thing or more will grow in its place. And my mom said never to comb my hair at school b/c of witchcraft or something, so if there's like shed hair, I'll wrap it up in a paper towel and then put it in my purse!

Don't sleep with wet hair, but I do sometimes. It doesn't break it off.
Brush hair 100 times, yeah I never did that b/c I was too lazy to lol.
Sometimes we tug at our hair and keep it in a low pony or bun, b/c it stretches the hair. It's grown our hair longer and thicker so far.

[hairyfairy]

Oh we have lots.

Don't go out after sunset with your hair down.

after childbirth, the more the baby laughs, the more hair the mother will shed.

Don't touch anybody, specially babies with your hair, otherwise the OP will fall ill.

Don't cut your hair on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

[hairyfairy]

Sorry, inadvertent double post here.

[Fluke]

Interesting! My childhood friend (Italian) had her adorable ringlets shaved off at age 5, but our understanding that "good" hair meant thick! I never realized there could be a superstition component to it!

I can't remember what they did with the brother, but he always did have super short hair.

Pakistanis also shave their baby girls heads, up to several times the first few years I think, to make the hair grow in thicker.
I don't know much about this, but my sister was told by her Pakistani friend that they did this several times at specific ages.

[vampodrama]

oh yes, when I was small, I kept hearing about girls who had their heads shaved due to ringworm or headlice (because back in USSR they actually did shave heads to treat headlice!) and when their hair grew back it had turned wonderful, thick, curly and basically just perfect.

now, I have shaved my head for a few times (no ringworm, just teenage rebellion) and I can surely say my hair is exactly the same - fine, thin and straight, just as it was before shaving :D

but then again, people kept telling me I should use frog-spawn on my face to get rid of my freckles... which I never did, of course, and I suspect that even if I had done this, I'd still have freckles :D

urban legends are truly amazing. in their stupidity at times. :D

[blue_nant]

I don't know of any hair superstitions off the top of my head, but it's funny that you mentioned Chinese people and green in hair. My Chinese professor told my class that if a man were to wear a green hat, it meant that his wife was cheating on him :hmm: There must be something about wearing green items on your head.

I don't know which culture, and I thought it was western European, where green symbolized jealousy?


I always heard that if you pull a gray hair out, two will grow in its place.

Wouldn't this be the cure for baldness? At least for folks with gray hair?


Don't go out after sunset with your hair down.

Don't cut your hair on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Hmmmm! Any reasoning behind those?

And the part about how if you don't cut, it won't grow, well, it just shows how strong a cultural belief can be in the face of logic :shrug:

[s_tresses]

Yeah, I have heard that one too. Don't cut your hair and/or fingernails on Tuesdays and Thursdays. (Indian Origin)

My aunt has very long thick hair and she used to wear something black in her hair for protection from "evil eyes".

[Eden Iris]

after childbirth, the more the baby laughs, the more hair the mother will shed.

At last, an explanation for my massive post partum shed: happy babies.

I wish the gray hair one were true. I could keep pulling the buggers out and end up with more hair. And then henna it all!

[sissadawn]

My mom lived in s. texas for a while, she has kinky/curly bleached blond hair and she said that people used to come up to her and touch it all of the time, when she asked why they told her that if they admired something and didn't touch it, it would bring her bad luck like an evil eye or something along those lines

[lora410]

here we have a superstition that if you cut your own hair, you will also "cut away" your sanity...


Oh, this explains why I have issues :rollin:

[lora410]

More baby related, but still hair-

The more heartburn a pregnant mother has, the more hair the baby will have..


I can vouch this isn't true. I had god awful heartburn and my dd barely had any hair when she was born.

[Silverlox]

My friend from Iran insists that if you go outside with wet hair, you'll catch pneumonia and die. Yes, even in the summer, when it's 100°F~38°C.
Surprisingly, it seems okay to sit outdoors in your own garden or on a balcony with wet hair though, as long as you aren't "really" outside, like in a street. :confused:

Regarding the pulling of grey hairs, my family have corrupted that one into: If you pull out any grey hair, you'll eventually go bald! :p

[Gypsy]

I always heard that if you pull a gray hair out, two will grow in its place.

I don't know if I believe that, but I never pull out a hair!

I wish I could say that.
I'm burdened with trichotillomania...:(

[heidihug]

If you color your hair while pregnant, either the color will not take, or it will turn an unintended shade. Or, if you get a perm when you are pregnant, it will not stay curly.

I went to a stylist when I was pregnant with DS16 who firmly believed this nonsense to the point that she would not color or perm the hair of a pregnant woman. Now, I believe it is probably better not to chemically color when you are pregnant, because you never know how much of that stuff your skin absorbs. And I would never recommend a perm to anyone, ever. But, yeah, hair is dead, and if someone is pregnant their hair will take color and it will take perm solution just like the hair of someone who is not pregnant.

[Dez]

Don't wrap a newborn baby in fur - the child will grow fur, too.


well i'm sure glad i never wrapped mine in fur, because they seem to have already been born with fur! LOL!

Also my grandmother used to tell me if my hair was pulled on it would grow longer. So I used to have her french braid my hair all the time. my hair did grow fast when i was younger and while preggo. Now i'm neither so we'll see.

my husband is mexican and he doesn't like our boys to go out with wet hair either or they'll get sick.

[flapjack]

It's actually the opposite. Even numbers are put on graves, only odd numbers are given to the living. :flower:
Castor and also Burdock oil things are true.


The bird poop thing is in Russia too. My poor mum should be very lucky by now with the luck she has when it come to bird poos on the head. :laugh:

In Russia there's also a belief that if you cut very long hair to a very short length, it will never grow back to the same long length or thickness.



Doh, ahahahah, you're right. Don't tell the g-ma I said that. Brainfart. :poot:


When I was in kindergarten, a bird pooped on my head. I don't know about the legend being true, but I do know it sucked. Harhar.

[Arriens]

Regards the hair burning, why would you do that? I mean, that smell of burned hair isn't something I enjoy nor do I expect anyone to love it.

[Katze]

I had only heard of these two, the others are new to me. And, are the two above superstitions or truths? At least, the prenatal vitamins one is true?

Definitely superstitions. Vitamins might help you if you have a deficiency; many people are deficient in, say, iron or essential fatty acids, which is why these supplements help maximize how much your hair is programmed (genetically) to grow. At least that's how I understand it.

Cutting hair just makes it shorter. :)

When we were kids we used to clean our brushes and leave the hair out for the birds. However, I had an African-American roommate from Florida who was horrified at this idea - said the if the birds build a nest from your hair, you'll get headaches! She was also superstitious about what you do with your nail clippings, too...

[Lady Lilya]

He believed that, when you die, and if your entire body including hair is not all "accounted for" (i.e. is not all with you and cannot be found anywhere), your soul will roam the earth trying to find it.

I feel that way, but not about hair or nails or fluids like blood. Those are things we are supposed to shed and replace.

[Lady Lilya]

I always heard that if you pull a gray hair out, two will grow in its place.

I don't know if I believe that, but I never pull out a hair!

Nah, it's not true. I've had about 5 occasions where I had a single gray hair appear overnight. I just pulled them out. It was years between these occasions, for the most part.

[Lady Lilya]

I've run across several references to women who were ill from fever cutting their hair off so it wouldn't "sap their strength." I thought it was the stuff of novels until someone informed me--just to describe her attitude--that of course it was true. (She had very short hair when I knew her, so maybe was prone to fevers..? :lol:)

I've read from a biochemist, Lana Cantrell, that women can store vitamins and minerals in their hair, kinda like a bank account. During times of great stress, they can withdraw that nutrition, which is evidenced by their hair going gray or white overnight. She said men can't do this, which is why they don't have as much need to grow their hair long.

So, that would mean that women with an illness shouldn't cut their hair. They need that stored nutrition.

[getoffmyskittle]

If there's a death, all the women in the family immediately have to wash their hair.

I don't know why, though...

[Speckla]

I had only heard of these two, the others are new to me. And, are the two above superstitions or truths? At least, the prenatal vitamins one is true?

I think the prenatal vitamins have more of what the body needs for assisting with hair formation/growth?
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[camillacamilla]

When I started taking vitamins, my previously thin, peeling nails starting growing in thick and strong. My hair is growing faster too. Superstition? NO...just my horrible diet and I was obviously deficient in vitamins and minerals.

[Silverlox]

I've read from a biochemist, Lana Cantrell, that women can store vitamins and minerals in their hair, kinda like a bank account. During times of great stress, they can withdraw that nutrition, which is evidenced by their hair going gray or white overnight. She said men can't do this, which is why they don't have as much need to grow their hair long.

So, that would mean that women with an illness shouldn't cut their hair. They need that stored nutrition.

Unless your hair is white, which would apparently mean that it's already depleted. No point in having long hair then.. :rolleyes:

Luckily I don't believe this, so I get to keep my long silvers.. :cheese:

[prosperina]

I think the idea that you can go grey or white overnight due to sudden terrible grief or stress is a myth. I've heard that one a lot actually.

Another one I've seen on the internet (dubious sources, so I'm not sure about the veracity) is that some cultures (is it Greek?) believe red heads turn into vampires after they die. :eyebrows: Now that would be cool. Also, lots of other ancient cultures would kill redheads because they thought they were dangerous or witches. :mad:

About cut hair and cut fingernails: anyone ever see the movie Surviving Picasso with Anthony Hopkins? In that movie, Picasso always had is first wife cut his fingernails and hair then she would put them in little sealed envelopes. Either she would keep them or he would... don't remember the details.

[mira-chan]

Doh, ahahahah, you're right. Don't tell the g-ma I said that. Brainfart. :poot:


When I was in kindergarten, a bird pooped on my head. I don't know about the legend being true, but I do know it sucked. Harhar.
I won't say a thing. :laugh:


I think the idea that you can go grey or white overnight due to sudden terrible grief or stress is a myth. I've heard that one a lot actually.

Another one I've seen on the internet (dubious sources, so I'm not sure about the veracity) is that some cultures (is it Greek?) believe red heads turn into vampires after they die. :eyebrows: Now that would be cool. Also, lots of other ancient cultures would kill redheads because they thought they were dangerous or witches. :mad:

About cut hair and cut fingernails: anyone ever see the movie Surviving Picasso with Anthony Hopkins? In that movie, Picasso always had is first wife cut his fingernails and hair then she would put them in little sealed envelopes. Either she would keep them or he would... don't remember the details.
The going white thing does happen but not the way the standard myth makes you think it does. Dark partially grey hair at the beginning, add a lot of stress, which induces a shed in the darker older hairs, mostly grey/ white hairs left and less hair. It doesn't happen overnight usually but a couple of days, certainly.

[Gingevere]

These are all very interesting...

Being a natural redhead, I've heard plenty about my hair color. The most common being that redheads are evil, witches, servants of Satan, etc. :rolleyes: But I've heard some more interesting ones from other parts of the world. Apparently, in Corsica, if you pass a redhead in the street you spit and turn around. And my cousin's Polish neighbor told me that if you pass three redheads you'll win the lotto. :cheese:

[Lady Lilya]

Unless your hair is white, which would apparently mean that it's already depleted. No point in having long hair then.. :rolleyes:

Luckily I don't believe this, so I get to keep my long silvers.. :cheese:

She said the hair goes white when either the follicle can't make nutrient deposits in it the same way anymore, or your body doesn't have any extra nutrients to spend.

But just because you can't withdraw nutrients from your hair doesn't mean it isn't worth keeping! I love silver hair!

[Lady Lilya]

I've had individual hairs go white overnight. I woke up in the morning, and right in the front a whole hair was white. There is no way that it was there before and just became more visible due to shedding of other hairs. This is how all my grays happened. And it was definitely a time of great strain each time.

[susiemw]

When I was younger everybody would tell me "If you don't eat your crust, your hair won't go curly..." I was very gullible and wanted curly hair desperately.


I thought my mother made that one up!

She use to tell me to eat my crusts to get curly hair.
she would have loved a curly hair child but she got 3 kids
with straight hair...even though we all ate our crusts :)

[RancheroTheBee]

Oh, God. My friend freaked out at me when I accidentally pulled out one of his hairs when I was braiding it for him. He told me that he was going to have bad luck after that. He didn't, of course.

[Lady Lilya]

I have 3c hair, and I don't eat crusts. :)

[magicatt]

I think the idea that you can go grey or white overnight due to sudden terrible grief or stress is a myth. I've heard that one a lot actually.

I know a lot of people think this is a myth but it did happen to me. When I got sick with my heart condition (which came on very suddenly and nearly killed me--so a lot of stress and shock to my body) my hair did go a version of white. It originally lost all of the color in my hair and it went a dark gray color. Then that color lightened to a dirty dishwater white color--not the pretty sparkly silver color of some of the ladies here but more a dirty snow kind of coloring. When the color came back, my hair went red then that deepened to the golden brown it is now. It took longer to get the color back than to lose it.

[Kimberly]

I know a lot of people think this is a myth but it did happen to me. When I got sick with my heart condition (which came on very suddenly and nearly killed me--so a lot of stress and shock to my body) my hair did go a version of white. It originally lost all of the color in my hair and it went a dark gray color. Then that color lightened to a dirty dishwater white color--not the pretty sparkly silver color of some of the ladies here but more a dirty snow kind of coloring. When the color came back, my hair went red then that deepened to the golden brown it is now. It took longer to get the color back than to lose it.

Wow, magicatt, I hope you're okay now! What color was your hair in the first place?

[JamieLeigh]

I believe that slamming your hair in a car door will hurt. I don't know why this keeps happening to me, but every time I accidentally slam my hair in the door, it pulls like CRAZY! Anyone else ever notice this? ;)

(...sorry, it was too easy...)

[Kleis]

I've read from a biochemist, Lana Cantrell, that women can store vitamins and minerals in their hair, kinda like a bank account. During times of great stress, they can withdraw that nutrition, which is evidenced by their hair going gray or white overnight. She said men can't do this, which is why they don't have as much need to grow their hair long.

So, that would mean that women with an illness shouldn't cut their hair. They need that stored nutrition.

I'll have to look this up. It sounds bizarre, especially if it's sex linked.

[magicatt]

Wow, magicatt, I hope you're okay now! What color was your hair in the first place?

I'm ok. Thanks for your concern. :flower:

My hair was originally blonder--more of a dark blond or a light brown than it is now and it had a less red in it too. It's a trade-off. I'm just happy to have color in my hair. :thumbsup:

[sweetbluesky]

I was told that going out into the night with open hair (leaving it down) is an invitation for evil spirits to enter your body, as they are attracted to hair.

[Dez]

if you pass three redheads you'll win the lotto


sure wish this was true. my son goes to school with a little red head girl and her mom and sister have red hair too. So I pass three redheads twice a week. maybe I should play the lotto sometime?

[shyone]

A Russian friend would always play with my hair and say that in her country a woman's hair was said to have a kind of power to it and that if someone got hold of your one of your hairs they had your power.Prior to Soviet times in Russia a married woman had to cover her and could only uncovered again in public at her faither's funeral.This was to be a sign of her mourning.I believe that this comes from 1 Cor 11 in the bible where women are instructed to cover their hair.

An old Irish belief was that if fishermen on their way to the sea met a red headed woman on the way they would turn back.

[PineappleJello]

And my grandmother also warned us to watch our stray hairs around canadian indians.....something about them knowing witchcraft?? or maybe she just wanted us to keep away from them :uhh:

If you are able to would it be possible to find out why? I think your profile says your from Northern Montana, if so that's rather interesting because the Indians there (Blackfeet) are the same as in Southern Alberta (Blood and Peigan who are all members of the Blackfoot tribes I believe).

[sibiryachka]

I'm not sure I have the details exactly right, but I've also encountered a Russian folk belief that the thickness and health of your hair (especially a woman's) reflects your personal power, as does the strength/loudness of your voice. A change in hair quality, such as losing a lot of it, can indicate that a witch has put a spell on you; so can suddenly losing your voice or going hoarse.

[cm006j]

I always heard that if you pull a gray hair out, two will grow in its place.

I don't know if I believe that, but I never pull out a hair!

My cousin used to pluck her grays. She didn't get two in their place, but she does have much thinner hair now then she used to. It's probably half the thickness that it was when she first started doing it. Now, that could be just a function of her getting older, but it certainly stopped me from plucking out grays!

[*Aoife*]

You'll get curly hair if you don't eat your crusts. I already had semi curly hair!!! And I hated crusts but liked curly hair. Win win situation.

My Wiccian friend said something about "the longer the hair, the more powerful the witch". She was joking with me though because she has short hair

[PineappleJello]

/hijack

My sister in law cuts the crust off for her 2 year old boy (even though he doesn't ask for this to be done) because there are less nutrition in the crust because it's all been cooked out in the oven.

[eezepeeze]

My grandmother always says that if you pull out a gray hair, two gray hairs will grow in its place.

[eezepeeze]

A woman at the grocery store yesterday told me that the eyes are the window to the soul, but your hair is your inner strength. I'd never heard the bit about the hair before. Interesting.

[Katurday]

I've heard of white being a bad color in Chinese culture (generally) but the green thing is interesting. White stands for death, though. Don't give the mother of your Chinese girlfriend white carnations as a gift when you meet her... little tip from a friend of mine, hahaha. Poor guy.
White carnations are funeral flowers in the Croatian culture because they grow around November 1st, All Saints Day.

[longblondetan]

my whole life i got told that blondes were stupid :P

[AlleyKitten]

Redhead are supposed to be "feisty" or have hot tempers. Not in my experience! We're also supposed to be sexy, either in a good way or a bad way.

One time a guy at a Rennaissance Faire said to me "Why do blondes have so much fun? Because there aren't enough redheads to go around."

[jasper]

I've always heard that it's three, but I pull them out anyway, and I've not seen a proliferation of greys.

This isn't totally about hair, but kind of is. Here in England, they say that it is good luck if a bird poops on your head. I've never seen the logic in that one.

My cousin told me if you pull gray hairs, they'll come back sticking up, which is basically true as long as the baby hairs are too short to lay down.

I heard that bird poop thing too, and having it happen to me, I must insist that it is a perfect example of having bad luck. :rolleyes:

[hermosamendoza]

I know that in India. I'm sorry I dont know if its hindu or buddism I know they cut their hair off at least once in a life time at the temple to stop vanity from growing in their heart. The sad thing is, is that their hair gets sold to american black women for weaves. Most actresses have 'indian weaves' that where given in the temple or cut off in the middle of the night.

My grandparents used to say that pepper makes you sexy if your a woman and it makes you sexy AND gives you chest hair if you are a man lol. I just think the hair came from being greek.

I had a bird take a huge one on me once. was that a sign of my long hair to come lol

More baby related, but still hair- The more heartburn a pregnant mother has, the more hair the baby will have.
Mexican families insist that infants need their heads SHAVED so the "good" hair will grow in. Boys and girls. << thats not just a mexican thing i know a lady from ecuador that keeps insisting i shave my daughters head! and My daughter was born with a full head of hair and I had the WORST heartburn LOL i couldnt eat anything with tomato, oranges, even an apple gave me hb!


I had a hummingbird stuck in my hair once! <<I had a bee stuck in it once

[JenniferNoel]

I was told that going out into the night with open hair (leaving it down) is an invitation for evil spirits to enter your body, as they are attracted to hair.

I go out in to the night with open hair and I must say I've been feeling marvelous lately! Helping children, winning contests, writing great new music, and enjoying time with friends almost daily. LOL.
I heard once that hair has a separate soul. *snort* :cool:

[hermosamendoza]

Redhead are supposed to be "feisty" or have hot tempers. Not in my experience! We're also supposed to be sexy, either in a good way or a bad way.

One time a guy at a Rennaissance Faire said to me "Why do blondes have so much fun? Because there aren't enough redheads to go around."

you reminded me of a funny video i saw on youtube about superstisions/beliefs/history of redheads. you have to see this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eo46jknMFTc

[RoseRed27]

I know that in India. I'm sorry I dont know if its hindu or buddism I know they cut their hair off at least once in a life time at the temple to stop vanity from growing in their heart. The sad thing is, is that their hair gets sold to american black women for weaves. Most actresses have 'indian weaves' that where given in the temple or cut off in the middle of the night.


The hair doesn't get sold exclusively to black women. It's simply made into extensions or wigs, which are use by many non-black women as well. Have many black women worn extensions at some point in their lives? Yes. But many people, black or otherwise don't even know where the hair comes from. Did you see this in a movie? Because I think I know who's to blame. ;)

[Talula]

I don't think this is a superstition, but interesting....My sister trims my hair for me & then puts the cut hair on/around her trees/bushes that she doesn't want the deer to munch on. She's heard that it discourages them from munching.... I guess they get the hair in their mouth & don't like it? She's in PA & there are crazy numbers of deer around her house. It's getting so it's no big deal to look in her backyard & see 7 deer.

ETA: Hmmm.... just found a site that said it's the SMELL of human hair that they don't like.... along with soap...

[RoseRed27]

Hmm. As a child, I was told never to count my plaits, because if I do they'll all fall out. I was also told not to let strangers play in my hair, or else, my hair will fall out. You know, if for some reason I plait
my hair (for example, to section my hair off) I still don't count them? Better safe than sorry! :p

[slythwolf]

My mother and aunty are both in the "you have to cut hair to make it grow" camp. Also to make it grow thick and strong.

Show them my length photo and then tell them I haven't cut my hair since last March. :D

Edit: Wait, wait, I have one! If you knit a strand of your hair into something you're making for your boyfriend or husband, he will never leave you. I think this one is funny because I can't avoid knitting my hair into everything I make.

[kritir]

When I went out to play on the swings in our park one evening with my hair loose, my mum told me never to do it again because it attracts bad spirits.

I'm not one to get freaked by superstition, but bad juju is bad juju.

[jasper]

When I went out to play on the swings in our park one evening with my hair loose, my mum told me never to do it again because it attracts bad spirits.

I'm not one to get freaked by superstition, but bad juju is bad juju.

I don't know about the bad spirits, but I could see the chains of the swing attracting loose hair in not a good way.:scared:

[twolunarspring]

I was also told not to let strangers play in my hair,

That really tickled me! :D

[cm006j]

I know that in India. I'm sorry I dont know if its hindu or buddism I know they cut their hair off at least once in a life time at the temple to stop vanity from growing in their heart. The sad thing is, is that their hair gets sold to american black women for weaves. Most actresses have 'indian weaves' that where given in the temple or cut off in the middle of the night.

My grandparents used to say that pepper makes you sexy if your a woman and it makes you sexy AND gives you chest hair if you are a man lol. I just think the hair came from being greek.

I had a bird take a huge one on me once. was that a sign of my long hair to come lol
<< thats not just a mexican thing i know a lady from ecuador that keeps insisting i shave my daughters head! and My daughter was born with a full head of hair and I had the WORST heartburn LOL i couldnt eat anything with tomato, oranges, even an apple gave me hb!

<<I had a bee stuck in it once

Indians also often shave babies heads to make the hair grow back stronger and thicker. You can be really looked down on in your family if you don't shave your baby's head.

[cm006j]

/hijack

My sister in law cuts the crust off for her 2 year old boy (even though he doesn't ask for this to be done) because there are less nutrition in the crust because it's all been cooked out in the oven.

I'm pretty sure that's not true at all!

[Yamainu]

Cherokee (a Native American tribe) also burn/burry their hair and nail clippings - they believe that witches can use them to make spells against you really, really powerful.

My mother told me to eat my crust to make my hair curly, and that shaving your hair makes it grows back thicker (or rather, that it DOESN'T WORK - she cut her eyelashes off when she was a teenager to make them grow back thicker - not only did they not grow back thicker, they grew back scraggily and thin. She has pathetic eyelashes to this day.)

[starlights]

i've heard this superstition in india, if you walk out in the night with your hair down an evil spirit will enter your body...
-also my nan used to hate it when i used to leave my full head of hair down (she is indian) and complained all the time that i should tie it up or else the evil spirits will come after me, (why would they? because i had horrible short hair at the time, lol)

-being muslim, we also shave the babies hair when they are born and depending on the weight of hair donate money to charity... also the hair is supposed to grow back thicker and better i've heard

-umm other superstitions are if your hair sheds or falls out, dont leave it lying around (on the floor) otherwise you will have bad luck

-my best friend with bum length hair tells me to always tie your hair up after oiling and braid it as it makes the hair grow longer quicker!

[steamboat28]

I've read from a biochemist, Lana Cantrell, that women can store vitamins and minerals in their hair, kinda like a bank account. During times of great stress, they can withdraw that nutrition, which is evidenced by their hair going gray or white overnight. She said men can't do this, which is why they don't have as much need to grow their hair long.

So, that would mean that women with an illness shouldn't cut their hair. They need that stored nutrition.

I don't want to be the one who disagrees with a biochemist, but I think that it might not just women who can call on hair-reserves for strength in tough times. If I don't sleep for days due to extensive work or sickness, or if I'm dealing with a particularly rough situation, or if I'm just overloaded, I tend to forget to eat and sleep properly. If I keep pushing myself, I'll amble on like nothing happened, but my beard will turn from almost-black to a rainbow of greys and blondes. When I get back on track, it goes back to normal, and I've always wondered where that extra energy comes from.

[steamboat28]

It's not just them. Many cultures that believe in sympathetic magic are known to take care where they leave things like hair and fingernail clippings, as well as personal belongings with great sentimental value. The idea is that if you have something important to someone (like a doll, or a favorite pin), or a part of someone (like hair, or fingernail clippings), you can use them to represent the whole person in a ritual, effectively casting something on someone since you have a piece of them (or their spirit) handy.

[jasper]

-umm other superstitions are if your hair sheds or falls out, dont leave it lying around (on the floor) otherwise you will have bad luck
Bad luck? Try bad manners!:cheese:

[klcqtee]

I always heard, if you have an eyelash loose, you should hold it on your finger, close your eyes, make a wish, and blow it off. If the eyelash comes off your finger, your wish'll come true.

I follow that one. If it works, great! If it doesn't, no harm done :o

[MissManda]

When I was twelve, my grandmother informed me that once I cut my hair short, it would never grow back long or thick. :rolleyes: Well, I've proven that one wrong and I think she told me that because she was jealous of my long, thick hair.

[Jezerellica]

I heard this too. Saw a complex explanation of it also, but fell asleep reading...zzzzzz:sleep:


my mother in law believes that you should cut your hair during a specific time in the lunar cycle in order for it to grow fast and strong. I think she cuts it when it's waxing.

[vampyriccadence]

I always heard, if you have an eyelash loose, you should hold it on your finger, close your eyes, make a wish, and blow it off. If the eyelash comes off your finger, your wish'll come true.

I follow that one. If it works, great! If it doesn't, no harm done :o

I still do the eyelash thing!

My grandmother owner her own beauty parlor, and she believed a little bit of pain during hair styling strengthened the hair. My perms were always extremely painful (I'm tendered headed, and she used a spiral method using rubber tubes), but my hair was always shiny and strong after her perms. But then again, she styled older women's hair and they probably couldn't feel a thing after years of curling!

I also have friends who insist that dying your hair will "change the hair's composition" and make it do the opposite of what it usually does. For example, curly hair will become straight and straight hair will become curly. I don't know if this is true, but after I dye my hair, it tends to hold curls better.

[vampyriccadence]

I still do the eyelash thing!

My grandmother owner her own beauty parlor, and she believed a little bit of pain during hair styling strengthened the hair. My perms were always extremely painful (I'm tendered headed, and she used a spiral method using rubber tubes), but my hair was always shiny and strong after her perms. But then again, she styled older women's hair and they probably couldn't feel a thing after years of curling!

I also have friends who insist that dying your hair will "change the hair's composition" and make it do the opposite of what it usually does. For example, curly hair will become straight and straight hair will become curly. I don't know if this is true, but after I dye my hair, it tends to hold curls better.

I need to spell check, I'm so sorry.

"My grandmother owned her own beauty parlor."

[christine1989]

I'm sure we've all heard the old "blondes are dumb" superstition (although I have met more that a few who are). I was also told that pulling on hair will make it grow faster. There is some logic behind it so I do it once in a while and my hair grows faster than average :).

[vampyriccadence]

I'm sure we've all heard the old "blondes are dumb" superstition (although I have met more that a few who are). I was also told that pulling on hair will make it grow faster. There is some logic behind it so I do it once in a while and my hair grows faster than average :).

I have two friends of equal....lesser intelligence. One is pure blonde, the other deep brunette. I can't take the "superstition" seriously when they both don't understand that Paris is in France, which is also in Europe.

[Cailie]

Muslims believe that :

the best thing to dye hair/beard is henna, or henna and katam

"The best things with which to change grey hair are henna and ‘katam’ (a plant similar to henna which is used as a dye)." (Reported by al-Tirmidhi, no. 1675; he said: This is a saheeh hasan hadith).


hair/beard shouldn't be dyed black (but it can be black naturally of course)


"Dyeing hair with pure black dye is haram because the Prophet (Peace & Blessings of Allah be upon Him) said: "Avoid black," and because of the threat of punishment reported with regard to this matter. This ruling applies to both men and women.
But if the black dye is mixed with another colour, so that it is no longer black, there is nothing wrong with it."

gray hair should not be plucked, only dyed

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: “Do not pluck out grey hairs, for they will be light on the Day of Resurrection.”


hair should not be combed too often

“The Apostle of Allaah (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallem) forbade combing the hair except every second day.” (Abu Dawood: Book 33, Number 41)

Hazrat Abdullah bin Mughaffal (Radiallahu anhu) reports, " Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) prohibited the combing of hair, but allowed it to be done occasionally."


Hair should be combed from the right side first


Hazrat Aisha (Radiallahu anha) says, " Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) liked to begin with the right while combing his hair; while performing wudhu - ablution and when putting on his shoes. (Also in every other deed, he first began with the right then the left).


Hair should be well kept and honoured


Abu Hurairah (Radiyallaahu ‘Anhu) reported the Prophet, (Sallallaahu ‘Alaihi wa Sallem), as saying, "Whoever has hair should honor it." (Related by Abu Dawood.)

Abu Qatadah (Radiyallaahu ‘Anhu) related that he had a great amount of hair. He asked the Prophet, "O Messenger of Allaah, I have lots of hair. Should I comb it?" He answered, "Yes ... and honor it." Abu Qatadah used to oil it twice a day due to the Prophet's words, "... and honor it."

Oil is good for hair and scalp


Hazrat Anas (Radiallahu anhu) reports, "Sayyidina Rasulullah (Sallallahu alaihe wasallam) often rubbed oil in his head and also often combed his beard. He put a cloth over his head, which became like an oil cloth due to the frequent use of oil."

Hasrat Anas bin Malik (ra) confirms that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) applied olive oil to his hair. This strengthens the roots of the hair. This chapter explains that Rasulullah (sallallahu alayhi wasallam) also used a piece of cloth to protect his amaamah – turban from being stained. This was due to the oil being applied. Rasulullah (sallallhu alayhi wasallam) combed his blessed beard often.


regarding body hair and hygiene

“He set us a time limit of no more than forty days for trimming the moustache, clipping the nails, plucking the armpit hairs and shaving the pubic hair.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 10/284 and Muslim, 1/222).

women can cut their hair short, but shouldn't shave it off unless for necessity (ex. chemotherapy patient that want to even it out by shaving or to help it grow stronger after an illness : that is perfectly okay)


It says in Fataawa al-Lajnah al-Daa’imah (5/179): It is not permissible for a woman to shave her head except in cases of necessity, because of the report narrated by al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaa’i from ‘Ali (may Allaah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade women to shave their heads.

women shouldn't cut their hair to look like men, and men shouldn't try to look like women


the hadeeth of Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both) who said: “The Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) cursed men who imitate women and women who imitate men.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5435)

shouldn't wear false hair (wigs, extensions, false eyelashes, etc.)

“Allaah has cursed the woman who adds false hair and the woman who has this done, and the woman who tattoos and the women who has this done.” (Reported by al-Bukhaari, 5477).

regarding purification

"As regards man, he should undo the hair of his head and wash it until the water should reach the roots of the hair. But there is no harm if the woman does not undo it (her hair) and pour three handfuls of water over her head." (it is also ok for her to have oil in her hair and leave it braided) - Hadith - Abu Dawud, Narrated Thawban


shaving newborn boys and giving money to charity (there seem to be disagreement as to if this should be done also to baby girls. I know that some cultures only symbolically cut a strand of hair when it's a baby girl)

"Shaving the child’s head then anointing the child’s head with saffron is very beneficial. Then it is prescribed to give in charity gold or silver equal in weight to the hair. This does not have to be done by actually weighing the hair; if it is too difficult to do that, it is sufficient to estimate the weight and give paper currency equivalent to the price of that amount of gold or silver." See: Sharh al-Khurashi ‘ala Mukhtasar Khaleel (3/48 ); al-Majmoo’ (8/406); Kishshaaf al-Qinaa’ (3/29).

[sally_neuf]

My grandmother told me that burning someone hair would cause the person bad luck!

Those Muslims believes are so interesting! Thanks for sharing that!

[Charlotte:)]

I do this too or I did before I started keeping it for henna tests.

Your hair would look beautiful in a bird's nest! Words cannot describe how much I love your hair color :)

[Cailie]

Thanks for sharing that!

my pleasure !

[PiroskaCicu]

I found this, which is really amusing and cute:

* Cut it on Monday to attain health.
* Cut it on Tuesday to gain wealth.
* Cut it on Wednesday to hear the news.
* Cut it on Thursday to get a new pair of shoes.
* Cut it on Friday and there will be sorrow.
* Cut it on Saturday and you will see your true love tomorrow.
* Cut your hair on Sunday and the devil will be with you all week.

[Elistariel]

I do the eyelash thing too sometimes. :)

Never use a brush and a comb at the same time, or you'll have bad luck - My Gran (her family was from NC and GA, so I'm not sure where this comes from.)

It's not hair related, but I was also not allowed to walk around with one shoe on and one shoe off, or else I'd have bad luck.
All I ever got out of that was a bit of a limp, until the other shoe was found. :cheese:

[oceanwoman111]

I'm enjoying this thread. It is is very interesting. :agree:

When I was living in Turkey, I was told when a black cat crosses your path, you should tug on a piece of your hair a few times to get rid of any bad luck.

The time period when I was most successful in my life was when my hair was longest.

Ok. That's all I got. :)

[slythwolf]

It's not hair related, but I was also not allowed to walk around with one shoe on and one shoe off, or else I'd have bad luck.
All I ever got out of that was a bit of a limp, until the other shoe was found. :cheese:

I wonder if this one is related to the possibility of twisting an ankle.:D

[littlenvy]

Found the following:
droping a comb while you are combing your hair is a sign of a coming disappointment.

and

If you walk backward nine steps and find a hair, the colour of that hair will be that of the man you will marry.

So while I was looking for these ... I found one that I knew!! ( just forgot- lol)

"Put some of your hair in the fire. If it burns slowly you will have
a long life. If quickly, a short one."

Which kind of makes sense. Dry (unhealthy hair) will burn faster. Unhealthy hair sometimes means not a good overall health.

[truepeacenik]

I have two friends of equal....lesser intelligence. One is pure blonde, the other deep brunette. I can't take the "superstition" seriously when they both don't understand that Paris is in France, which is also in Europe.
I think that is an Okie lack of exposure thing. My son's father's family has it badly.

Try telling them about Paris, Texas.:D

[Twil]

I was always told that if you cut your hair before your first menstruation you would become infertile. Which made it very obvious to tell who had had her first 'monthly' in my family.

[Amelia]

I've always know about the connection with the moon cicles and the hair growth.

Also that you shouldn't cut your hair in New Year's Eve.

On Good Friday (Easter) you shouldn't comb your hair.

To cut your hair outside in the rain brings you good luck.

[Marjolein]

In the Netherlands parents tell their children they shouldn't drink coffee, or their hair will turn red. Like that's a bad thing!!

[Jessclewlow]

My grandmother always said if you washed your hair when "Aunt Flo" was visiting, it would make your cramps worse.

(it doesn't)

lol if ANYTHING could possibly make mine worse than the agonising i get now then i dread to think! :(

[bumblebums]

Now, that's an interesting thread...

Here are some more:

Always burn hair, which fell out or you ripped out. If a bird carried that hair into its nest, you'll get a headache or you end up blind, depending on the bird.


Ha! My grandma told me this when I was a kid. And here I was thinking that she made it up herself.

[OtiggerificO]

There's a Scottish superstition from Dunfermline that states if you cut a child's hair while the moon is waning, their hair will never grow back as long or as strong.
And obviously you have to burn the hair or evil witches will use it to harm you :P
If you suspect a women of witchcraft you should shave all the hair off her body to find the Devil's mark.
You should keep some of the hair from a child's first hair cut, it keeps you linked to the child and will help you find them if they are stolen by the fae.
Red-haired people are bad luck for a voyage, and a fisherman's wife should never brush her hair while her man is at sea.
To add to the bird's nest theme, if a magpie steals your hair for a nest you'll die within a year and a day.

Us Scottish are happy folk, honest :)

Also, seeing a white hair on a black cat is meant to bring good luck.

[Isabel]

There's an old Finnish folk belief about washing hair with rainwater -- supposedly gathering rainwater and using it to wash hair makes hair softer and more beautiful. I don't know if there's any truth in that, but some people are saying that rain water may have a good pH level for washing hair.

[bumblebums]

There's an old Finnish folk belief about washing hair with rainwater -- supposedly gathering rainwater and using it to wash hair makes hair softer and more beautiful. I don't know if there's any truth in that, but some people are saying that rain water may have a good pH level for washing hair.

It's not necessarily about pH levels--rainwater is also usually softer than tap water. Snow melt water is probably also good for this, as long as it didn't come from a Helsinki sidewalk :)

I just remembered something--not so much a superstition but definitely a bizarre hair belief. My grandmother would wash her hair with a crude brown laundry soapbar and always rinsed it in standing water, a tin wash tub. She believed that rinsing hair in running water caused dandruff because it "pressed the soap scum onto the scalp." Don't ask me about that one... She never had spectacular hair, either, so I wouldn't recommend this method to anyone.

[Elistariel]

In the Netherlands parents tell their children they shouldn't drink coffee, or their hair will turn red. Like that's a bad thing!!

I wasn't allowed to have it because it "would stunt my growth." Having an Asian family friend didn't who drank coffee didn't help me disbelief that.
Years later I realize it probably started with a parent not wanting their kid to be even more hyper, combine that with I have ADD and if I had been allowed coffee as a child, well... yeah. I know my family didn't make this up, my friend was taught this as well.

Funny thing, I didn't start drinking coffee (with MASSIVE amounts of sugar) until I was in college and fully grown. I'm still the shortest full-grown member of my family and only about an inch or two taller than aforementioned Asian family friend. :cheese:

[kritir]

I don't know about the bad spirits, but I could see the chains of the swing attracting loose hair in not a good way.:scared:
Haha, we have plastic on the chains - it's a hazard otherwise!

[SilvraShadows]

I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone mentioned what my gramma told me when I was a teenager.... she said I washed my hair too much and if I kept it up I would go bald. Not so! Back then I had thick beautiful long hair...

[Deemeeuh]

Using a lunar chart for hair care. LOL!

[Aeltt]

I've heard (two times) that if you sleep with wet hair, you will wake up with issues :confused:
I asked why but they didn't know.

[LittleOrca]

I've heard (two times) that if you sleep with wet hair, you will wake up with issues :confused:
I asked why but they didn't know.

I know if I sleep with wet hair I will have a migraine in the morning, but that is just me. :)

I LOVE MLP, btw. :)

[florenonite]

I've heard (two times) that if you sleep with wet hair, you will wake up with issues :confused:
I asked why but they didn't know.

If I sleep on wet hair my hair ends up looking greasy, my scalp gets itchy, and my hair is tangled. Enough issues? :lol:

[louisemg82]

Here in England, we're always being told that if you eat the crust from a loaf of bread, it will make your hair curly!!
I'd love curly hair and as such, ate my crusts religiously but at 28 I'm still yet to find a curl on my head :D

Lady Cypressa, Keeper of the Olive Grove in the Order of the Long Haired Knights

[Jean Stuart]

I worked with some women from the carribian Who told me when they get their hair cut they take home the clippings because if someone who did not like you got a hold of it they would use it to curse you. Also they said not to let cut or shed hair fly away on the wind because it could cause you to loos your mind.

[Fractalsofhair]

I've heard if you let your hair get tangled, you'll have issues(ie, go crazy.), because fairies will get caught in it/be attracted to it and try to play with it and that's not generally a good thing. No one in my family actually believes it, but my grandmother says it jokingly if I don't have a comb on me and it's windy.

[pinkbunny]

I hope I won't repeat too many - I just read the first and last few pages...

I knew a guy in high school who would put his shed hairs in his pocket. When I asked him why, he said he didn't want to leave a part of himself in places he didn't like... lol

I read an article in a Wiccan Almanac about hair. It said that in the Middle Ages, men going to war believed that having some of their enemies' hair was having power over them, and of course that witches got their power from long hair. Defeated soldiers and accused witches would be shorn to strip them of power...

I have another (Wiccan) book that says a poppet (kind of like a voodoo doll) can be stuffed with some hair of the person it is supposed to represent for the magick to work.

Not too long ago I saw the movie Chino (with Charles Bronson) and when he brought his young blonde apprentice on a visit to his American Indian friends, they all marveled at his golden hair and Chino explained to him that they thought it was magical.

I've also had my own kind of superstitions about keeping the hair of loved ones to keep them close. I wore a few shed strands from my (now ex) BF wound around a ring, and I still have the mini ponytail I cut from DH's head when he requested a big chop for a job interview. Not sure what my reasoning is, or where the belief came from...

[dreamsofthewind]

Part of this superstition has been said already...
My Indian friend told me that she wasn't allowed to wash her hair on Tuesdays or Saturdays because it caused bad luck or illness for the men in her family.

[ghost]

I've heard (two times) that if you sleep with wet hair, you will wake up with issues :confused:
I asked why but they didn't know.

Shoot, I should just stop sleeping with my hair wet, and ask my pdoc to take me off my meds. (kidding, obviously :p)

Ummm I've heard that if birds make nests out of your trimmed or otherwise discarded hair, it will make you neurotic and/or insane. Insanity abounds in these hair myths...

I admit that when I trim my hair, it's always during a waxing moon to encourage growth. At any rate, it can't *hurt*.

[Antipodienne]

I've heard that a woman in labor will have a much more difficult birth if her hair is braided or bound in any way.

[luxepiggy]

I'm Chinese, and I won't cut my hair for the first month of the lunar year, or wash it on the first day of the lunar year - bad luck!

[italianamama]

I don't know about the bad spirits, but I could see the chains of the swing attracting loose hair in not a good way.:scared:

Oh yea ^ When I was about eight I was on the swings at school; so they were the industrial type with the really heavy chains. I managed to fall off the swing backwards (don't ask, I've NEVER been graceful) and a big chunk of my hair (maybe one inch square) had caught in the chain... I managed to rip a nice big piece of scalp out along with the hair. I think my hair was around BSL at the time. The pain was so intense I can STILL remember how much it hurt! Thank God it didn't leave me with a permanent bald spot- although it did take until my early teens to start completely growing that hair in that exact spot again.

Moral of the story: Don't daydream whilst on a swing. It's dangerous.

[PrincessBob]

Wow, in my family the birds usinf your hair to build nests thing was positive. It is one of the ways to complete the circle, and thank the birds for their hard work and sacrifice, so we always threw our hair clippings outside. I still do it when I think to.

Hair superstition: Dying you hair blonde will cause your roots to come in at a darker color than your hair used to be (something about your scalp attempting to compensate for the new lighter cloring).

In my encyclopedia of the ways people die (it's called Final Exits, I think) a man who jumped off the Empire State Building landed on a lower legdge, and his hair had whitened during the fall, he also died. I consider that a sufficient amount of trauma to cause loss of hair color over the seconds-long drop

Evil myth: Roughly handling hair, IE: ripping bvrushes and combs through it, braiding too tightly, washing and rinsing with hot water, etc, will "toughen" the scalp, so it won't hurt so bad later in life.

Almost as traumatic as people trying to toughen my scalp via afore mentioned rough treatment: I once had a field mouse get caught in my hair while sleeping on the floor of a family room in a house next to a huge field. I still have nightmares about the squeaking rodent scrambling for freedom. I know my mom called it a rat's nest, but darn! What a horrible way to wake up!

Never wear sparkly or shiny things in your hair around a baby or toddler, because it will cause them to grab handfuls of your hair and yank like there's no tomorrow! This is a widely held belief in my family, cant imagine why :wink:.

Princess Bob

[Nae]

I heard once that you shouldn't wash your hair right before a test or everything you studied would be washed out of your memory. Which makes no sense, but that is why they are superstitions lol.

[bumblebums]

I heard once that you shouldn't wash your hair right before a test or everything you studied would be washed out of your memory. Which makes no sense, but that is why they are superstitions lol.

Don't you spray knowledge on your hair? I thought everyone did :)

I remembered another one: when I was a teenager, a few of the blonde girls started getting less blonde as they went through puberty. But the explanation everyone accepted for why their hair was darkening was that they didn't drink enough milk. :confused:

[jocelyn anne]

In my culture, they said if you sleep with your hair wet, you will go blind. :rolleyes:

[lapis_lazuli]

In my culture, they said if you sleep with your hair wet, you will go blind. :rolleyes:

Woah, that's interesting and slightly frightening :bigeyes:
I get nervous that if I don't do the inversion method at least once a day, my hair won't grow. I know typically you only do it for a week/month but I know what works for me.
I also massage my scalp constantly, also out of fear that my hair won't grow without my extra help.

[ethanbawasanta1]

In our country, you can't cut the hair of a baby until he/she reaches one year old.

[Winterwitch]

My mom said that if you cut hair during puberty, it will never grow past that length. So she didn't cut my sisters hair in case she wanted it long when she was older or something. I had remembered hearing that somewhere else before too, and when my mother said it, I just kinda accepted it.
I've Googled and tried to find information about this weird superstition but there's literally nothing. I don't remember where I initially heard it and I don't know where my mom heard it either (and I never have heard her say it again after the one time.)
I almost wonder if I misheard her or am remembering wrong, my moms not one for weird superstitions like that.

[Anya15]

In my culture, we don't shampoo after sunset. They say that we do that only when there is a death in the family.

[nalgena]

I've heard that woman should not dye her hair during period because it won't have any effect.
If u pull out a gray hair two gray hair will eventually grow back.
Women should not dye their hair during pregnancy.
If u shave baby's hair it will grow back thicker.
In the past, women weren't advised to wash their hair 10 days (I think) after they gave birth.

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I have heard that women shouldn't wash their hair while they are having their period - but I am not sure why that should be.

[Silverbleed]

The dumb blondes thing has been annoying for me the past few years. There used to be a phrase whenever somebody did something 'dumb' they would say "Oh I'm so blonde!". It was used so often, almost as often as any swear word. Thankfully that passed after several years. I was very blonde a few years ago and it didn't always do well for my self esteem as a teen ._. If everyone is saying it, you would almost believe it. shudder:

[Gaalsong]

Okay, I'm from Tennessee and I'm trying hard to remember something I was told when I was young and wore my hair braided all the time. It was about braiding your hair and accidentally leaving a strand out. I think that meant you were going to get married soon. Or maybe it was, the next single man you saw after that happened would be your husband.

[Sweets]

I heard a naughty one about redheads:

The rustier the roof, the damper the cellar!

Had to laugh. DBF is a redhead ;)

[XiaoBaiTu]

I heard that the longer your hair gets, the more nutrients it steals from your body! Therefore, it was healthiest to have short to medium length hair.

Also , don't know if this one is a superstition or truth, but I heard that if you dye you hair often with chemical dyes, you will start going white/gray sooner.

[samanthaa]

Women should not dye their hair during pregnancy.


Correct me if I'm wrong, but I didn't think that one was a superstition...I thought that dying/bleaching your hair was bad for the unborn baby's health?

[Eastbound&Down]

My grandma told me that pregnant women shouldn't cut their hair or the baby will be born bald. Also, and I'm not sure if this is just a Cajun thing, but walking in the rain while pregnant will mean your baby will have a bad temper. So, it's discouraged for pregnant women should stay indoors during bad weather.

[Hairkay]

Some in the Caribbean believe it's best to wait until a baby boy is talking properly before he gets his first haircut. That's why it's not unusual to find a some starting nursery with long hair mostly kept in plaits/braids or ponytail if hair is straight. Some parents will then decide to delay cutting for some more years if they're happy with their boys' hair as it is. Two of my nephews had their hair cut when they were 5 and 8 before that they wore it in plaits.

[lithostoic]

Someone told me my ash hair and unusual eye color(s) meant I was an indigo child.

[Dommydomdom]

I'm not sure how true this is since I haven't been able to find any info on it on the internet, but my Classical lecturer in university told us that the Ancient Greeks equated hair length to fertility. Apparently they believed that hair was able to suck up a man's "essence" and that the longer a woman's hair was, the more sucking power it had, therefore the higher the likelihood of her falling pregnant. She also said that this was the reason that many Ancient Greek prostitutes would cut their hair short - to prevent them from falling pregnant.

Long hair in many cultures is seen as a powerful thing (think of Samson in the bible, Sikhism, Rastafaris and Hippies who grew longer hair as a sign of anti-establishmentarianism and thus taking power into their own hands, even Rambo's long hair has been thought of by some as a subconscious signal of his strength) and this might be owing to the fact that people with long, healthy hair are much healthier themselves.

When I was younger I thought that if you brushed your hair in the light of a full moon a hundred times and looked in the mirror, you would see the face of your future husband...or something like that :)

[tuanyiji]

I was wondering if you know of any hair-related superstitions.

For instance, one of my high-school chums said her grandmother (Chinese) FLIPPED when my chum wore a green barrette in her hair and pretty much yanked it out. Apparently it's BIG TIME bad luck to have green in your hair.

Anyone heard of others?

lol in general, we avoid green ornaments on our head, because "wearing a green hat" means getting cuckheld, your spouse cheating on you.

The most common belief here is that you can’t have a haircut in the first month of the lunar new year, otherwise your maternal uncle will die. It’s a myth, though, otherwise all barbershops will have to close for business for a month lol.


Also, women are not encouraged to wash hair when they are on their period or the first month after birthing babies. The reason probably being, they might catch a cold and worsen the already weak immune system but some people take this very seriously.