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View Full Version : Can't keep my hands out of my hair!



lockslessmonstr
June 11th, 2009, 08:06 PM
It's my "tick". I twirl, twist, eat, fluff, smooth, and play with my hair all day!!! One of my favorite things is to take section, smooth it down through my fingers and then pat the ends on my skin. I've done it since I can remember, I called it my "brushy" when I was little. It's like my "wubby" or "blankie" that I never grew out of. It's the most soothing, stress relieving thing I can do. And I do it without thinking, it's like breathing to me. So since I'm never gonna stop this - I've tried and so have others. My super diciplinary German grandfather tried to break me but not even he could punish me enough. So how bad is this for hair??? I always end up with a hair or two in my hand after each indulgence - and I indulge A LOT! Is this behavior going to ruin my chances at long healthy hair??? I know I'm breaking it and pulling some out but I seriously CANNOT stop. Even if I wear it up it's down after an hour or two because I'm that weak. Help!

HairyCarrie
June 11th, 2009, 08:36 PM
I like to play with my hair too. I think it's because of the novelty of it getting long and it feels so good! I think it irritates my friends and families, but I (and my hair) stay happy. :smile:

MAO
June 11th, 2009, 08:41 PM
I have no advice for you, unfortunately! I just had to say I have the same problem........even in a ponytail, I'm gonna play with the tail. Hopefully we can grow it long enough to put up in a bun so there are no loose ends to play with?

Flynn
June 11th, 2009, 08:51 PM
What's the point of long, lovely hair if you can't play with it?! XD

I do the same thing as you with my braid tassel against my face. (It's a new habit, though...)

The only "bad" habit I'd try to break is putting hair in your mouth, if you do that... and maybe if you tease strands of it, that mightn't be great.

However, if your hair is lovely and soft enough that your brushy still feels nice, I'd just take that as a good sign and continue. XD

Are you sure that you are usually breaking it? Whenever I touch my hair, I tend to get a hair or two coming away with my hand, and they're just normal shed hairs. If you play nice, and don't twist or tug until you hear snapping noises, I'm sure it's fine.

An idea if you are: maybe make sure you only play with the bits around your face, or the top front of your hairline? You know, the bits some people deliberately keep shorter anyway for some sorts of "layered" looks?

Pierre
June 11th, 2009, 09:00 PM
I do it too, except that I don't eat it (I sometimes get hair in my mouth by accident). It's a stim. And my hair is growing, so don't worry. :) I henna it, which both strengthens it and makes it soft that I like to stroke it.

White Sides
June 11th, 2009, 09:03 PM
I love doing that too! Just be gentle with your hair and you'll be fine.

jivete
June 11th, 2009, 09:03 PM
I have a similar habit although I'm slowly breaking it. It's not easy and I try to put it up so I can't fiddle with it. I do think it's damaging, especially for us finies. Have you tried to find something else to twirl? Someone here once suggested "worry beads" or something similar. I find that I'll twirl anything near my head, whether it's fake hair, real hair, a tassle, a scarf...

Like any habit, the less I do it, the less I want to do it. On a three hour car ride home last weekend I made myself keep my hands out of my hair for the trip home. Every little bit of not playing with my hair helps me break the habit. I actually find the longer it gets, the less I'm inclined to mess with it. When I really want to mess with it, I do an S&D mission.

Teazel
June 11th, 2009, 09:24 PM
Well, I for one believe you when you say your habit is causing damage. I have a friend with fine blonde hair who is forever fiddling with it - finger-combing, twisting, flinging it back over her shoulders only to bring it forward and fiddle again - and I always find a litter of broken hairs around the place she was sitting.

It sounds like you really want to stop, and that's the first step. I've broken such habits myself, so I know it's doable. :) As jivete said, you could try substituting something else to play with: a silky tassel around your neck, a bracelet with lots of interesting beads on it....

Try putting your hair up, and if you get the urge to take it down distract yourself. Read a book, go for a walk, watch a movie, get a glass of water, get on the computer or take up a hobby that needs busy hands (knitting, embroidery, beading - etc. etc.!) - anything to take your mind off your hair.

Hope this helps, and I hope someone comes along with better advice. Good luck! :)

tigerlily896
June 11th, 2009, 09:31 PM
I am guilty of playing with my hair too much too. I like to comb it with my fingers and pull out any loose hairs.... I'm like some sort of monkey preening myself all the time. Its such a bad habit but sometimes I don't even know I'm doing it!
When it was longer I would pick curls out and wrap them around my fingers and make them go boing!

Nevermore
June 11th, 2009, 09:39 PM
To be honest, I'm more concerned about the very serious health consequences of eating hair than I about the health of your hair. I'd definitely break that habit first (chew gum, eat ice, drink water, do something to avoid eating your hair) because that can kill you.

Natalia
June 11th, 2009, 09:42 PM
I love to play with my hair. I used to "eat" it sometimes but ive curbed that one thankfully. I say its your hair and if playing withit makes you happy than thats cool :). Id just put my effort into other methods of care besides trying to stop your habit. Healthy hair is stronger than you think it can take some abuse and a little playing itsnt going tot turn you bald. Enjoy :D

Krystyle
June 11th, 2009, 10:09 PM
It's my "tick". I twirl, twist, eat, fluff, smooth, and play with my hair all day!!! One of my favorite things is to take section, smooth it down through my fingers and then pat the ends on my skin. I've done it since I can remember, I called it my "brushy" when I was little. It's like my "wubby" or "blankie" that I never grew out of. It's the most soothing, stress relieving thing I can do. And I do it without thinking, it's like breathing to me. So since I'm never gonna stop this - I've tried and so have others. My super diciplinary German grandfather tried to break me but not even he could punish me enough. So how bad is this for hair??? I always end up with a hair or two in my hand after each indulgence - and I indulge A LOT! Is this behavior going to ruin my chances at long healthy hair??? I know I'm breaking it and pulling some out but I seriously CANNOT stop. Even if I wear it up it's down after an hour or two because I'm that weak. Help!

I think hair is just like a plant, it knows when it's loved and it grows and flourishes accordingly so I don't think this should be too bad for your hair . I play with mine at traffic lights. For some reason, when I'm driving I'm extra aware of my hair.

Almandine
June 11th, 2009, 11:26 PM
To be honest, I'm more concerned about the very serious health consequences of eating hair than I about the health of your hair. I'd definitely break that habit first (chew gum, eat ice, drink water, do something to avoid eating your hair) because that can kill you.

Sorry, but can I ask for an explanation? I've never heard anything about eating hair that means it is deadly or even dangerous. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just surprised.

Dars
June 11th, 2009, 11:54 PM
Sorry, but can I ask for an explanation? I've never heard anything about eating hair that means it is deadly or even dangerous. I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm just surprised.
The hair can build up in your gut and cause a blockage and stop normal absorption and elimination. A girl died from that in my mum's hospital.

MoonMaiden90
June 12th, 2009, 12:03 AM
I have heard that this can be damaging. Therefore, my advice is thus: when you feel the need to do this, do something else. First, wear your hair up to prevent the urge and keep it out of reach. Then, when you feel the urge, keep yourself occupied by chewing a piece of gum or snapping a rubber band on your wrist, or play with something else instead. You could go to a fabric store and buy a huge decorative tassle to play with. Try pinning it in your hair to fool your brain into thinking that it is your hair. Good luck! :thumbsup:

Flynn
June 12th, 2009, 12:14 AM
I have a friend who is a fidgeter, and she has all sorts of toys around the place. Like Bob, the Fiddle Wombat, and KeyZebra. XD

I like the idea of the tassel-necklace, actually... that could be really nice, and probably very easy to transfer your fidgeting to. Very hair-like.

tarn
June 12th, 2009, 12:27 AM
I think most of us fiddle to some degree when our hair is down. The key seems to be keeping it all gentle - your brushy sounds fine.
My sister in law has a habit of twisting her hair into knots which she then has to cut out (she has even been known to pull out - snap). She even has a short patch from doing it in one spot. Now her 3yr old daughter has started doing it to her own hair.
Compared to that, yours doesn't sound too bad.

RavennaNight
June 12th, 2009, 01:23 AM
Yup. I always got my hands in my hair too. DH told me I am a subconscious hair tosser:o. He says it's funny because it causes men standing behind me to react to it and I never know but he sees it:o. I just like the way my hair feels and when it lands against my back. That is when I feel it is getting longer. I'm also always smoothing it and touching the ends behind me, like I'm length checking.

natt i nord
June 12th, 2009, 05:00 AM
Oh, I have the same problem. I even play with the end of my braids... Today it's a Dutch braid and I have my fingers in it all the time!

I could change this, I'm sure, but I'm just too lazy :o
Here a few ideas:

1. realize. Every tick has something that gives you a good feeling. Find out this feeling.

2. Mean, but it helps: Write everything down. Write down when and how long you did it.

3. Really mean: Set times in which you MUST do it. Say 'before I go to sleep, I have to play with my hair'. And then do it. This takes away the positive feeling.

Good luck ;)

concrescence
June 12th, 2009, 05:38 AM
I like to play with my hair, too. I especially like to take a piece and tug on it or twirl it, although I also run my fingers through it quite often. It just feels so good! And, I'm constantly brushing my sideswept bangs out of my eyes (they make look stylish *to* others, but they make it hard for me to look *at* others :rolleyes: ).

I think that some amount of handling your hair is probably OK. But it does sound like you want to stop, and that is usually a good sign that you *should* stop something.

Damage to your hair aside, another reason to stop is that is how it makes you look to other people. I have tried to quit playing with my hair while teaching, because it looks very unprofessional. It can make you seem nervous, bored, or childish, depending on what you are doing to it. There's a reason that many women play with their hair when flirting; it can send the message that you are vulnerable and/or sensual. Not exactly the image that you want to project in other situations.

JamieLeigh
June 12th, 2009, 10:33 AM
Generally you don't want to put lots of stress on the ends of your hair, from things like twisting or yanking, or you will end up with broken hairs and splits. :(

But on the other hand, why grow long hair if you're just going to wear it up and not play with it? :pinktongue: Just try to keep it to a minimum!!

GlassEyes
June 12th, 2009, 10:41 AM
I play with my hair when I'm bored, thinking, or nervous, and I'm usually one or a combination. xD I've had concerns about damage with it, but it seems fine, and it's a better habit than biting my nails.

heidihug
June 12th, 2009, 10:48 AM
I used to suck on my hair when I was a kid, and have always had a hair fixation, but I have kept it to a minimum in the past couple of years just by always having it up.

I still play with my hair when it's down, because it is so soft and silky, and, well, long! But I don't touch it when it's up, so that is how I have my hair 99% of the time.

Good luck, this habit can be kicked!

MuzicalH3rb
June 13th, 2009, 11:52 PM
I have the problem of, constantly, running my fingers through my hair. My hair does not like it at all! It gets limp and flat.

GlennaGirl
June 14th, 2009, 02:47 AM
My two youngest children yank and twist my hair daily, sometimes hourly, and although I feel it makes it look more scraggly than it otherwise would, I really still have hardly any splits.

I'm sure the hair would look better if they didn't constantly twist and yank on it...but it is definitely growing regardless. :)