A Strange Habit!

**M.McDonough** · August 2nd, 2015, 07:59 AM

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

**vpatt** · August 2nd, 2015, 08:35 AM

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

**spidermom** · August 2nd, 2015, 08:48 AM

Nope - never have, never will.

**Robi-Bird** · August 2nd, 2015, 08:52 AM

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

**M.McDonough** · August 2nd, 2015, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by Robi-Bird

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

You will not lose your hair!

**Robi-Bird** · August 2nd, 2015, 09:24 AM

Originally Posted by M.McDonough

You will not lose your hair!

Ha ha, thanks! So far so good!

**Arctic** · August 2nd, 2015, 09:40 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**parkmikii** · August 2nd, 2015, 09:53 AM

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

**VeggiePixie** · August 2nd, 2015, 09:55 AM

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

**lapushka** · August 2nd, 2015, 09:57 AM

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