Very few dreams can be as frightening as a dream about hair falling out. Regardless of the nerve wrecking experience, it can be comforting to know that it is a very common dream.
A lot of experts and the public attribute the dream to fear, anxiety, and insecurities, usually concerning growing old. However, it is also common to have a dream about hair falling out even if you have no such concerns.
Sigmund Freud, considered the founder of psychoanalysis, pointed out in his book “Dream Psychology” that dreams help people express unconscious wishes that they would otherwise fins unacceptable in real life.
According to his theory, he noted that the dream was more of a symbolic representation of what the dreamer had going on in their life.
Different meanings can be derived from dreams about hair falling out. Let us take a look at the various approaches’ esoteric thinkers, psychoanalysts, doctors, therapist, and psychologists have been able to come up with over the years.
But first, what should you consider when interpreting this type of dream.
7 Common Interpretations of a Dream About Hair Falling Out
A dream of such kind generally signals to something bad. This does not mean it is something alarming physically or psychologically but basically something you need to look out for. You can interpret the dream in a myriad of ways since it can vary depending on various factors.
Let us take a look at some of the factors from your life that you may use to interpret your dream.
1. Physical Changes
Hair is considered to be one of the prevailing features of youth, beauty, and strength in many cultures. Physically getting older and losing your hair may make a man feel less of man as this implies to him that he is losing his virility.
Regardless of the gender, getting older and having irreversible physical changes can be a cause for anxiety, fear, and insecurity.
Sickness like cancer can be another cause of the dream. Cancer patients going through chemotherapy lose their hair and make them stand out. If you are in a similar situation, then the thought of getting sicker, fear of dying, and standing out may be the cause.
Consider all the physical ailments and concerns you may have in real life when interpreting this dream. Take note of the medications you may be taking that can cause hair loss, or if you are at risk for male pattern baldness, female pattern baldness, or alopecia.
Aristotle believed that the beginnings of diseases and other distempers which are about to visit the body…must be more evident in the sleeping state.
2. Psychological Implications
Do you feel like your hair adds to your value? Does your full head of hair make you feel more beautiful, sensual, and healthy? Then that may be a factor that is causing you to dream of hair loss. Dreams play out the desires and worries of our hearts so that we can be able to better express and realize ourselves.
How does your culture view lack of hair? Insecurities may stem from negative projections that the society, friends, and family may have about going bald or cutting your hair.
Moreover, the cause for psychologically inclined dreams may be due to how you negatively view your hair.
Do you see the task of taking care of your full head of hair tiresome? Does your hair make you stand out in ways you would otherwise not prefer? Is it linked to your type of hair, race, or any other feature you may be think makes you unlikeable?
Your hair may be something you want to break free from if you view it as a bother to your wellbeing. This can be the case when other people have a negative view of your hair more than you do. Keep in mind that your positive or negative thoughts may be the cause of the dream.
3. You or Another Person
It can be weird to picture it but a lot of people do dream of other people’s hair falling out. It is definitely a weird experience but it is a common issue that usually points to jealousy.
Someone’s hair falling out can signify their fall from grace, beauty, status, or rank. It can show that you are better than them due to their hair loss, thus making you feel better despite wanting what they have.
Moreover, this may be a sign of your own weaknesses be it physically or mentally. The weakness is in comparison to the person you are dreaming of. If they are close to you then you may worry of their health and appearance due to a shared illness.
Dreaming of someone else’s hair falling out can mean worry if you care for them. Maybe you are afraid for your partner’s health. There attractiveness may also play a factor, do you envy or worry of them losing their attractiveness.
Meaning can be different but the best place to start is to take note of who you see them as and how their qualities mean to your life.
4. Specific Events About the Dream
It is important to pay attention to how the dream takes place. Dreaming of hair falling out on its own is different from a dream where the hair is falling out in clumps. It is also different from a dream where someone or you are pulling the hair out.
Damaged hair falling out is typically linked to self-destructive tendencies and negative thoughts. If the hair is tangled up when falling out then this can mean you have complications in your life that need to be addressed, or let go.
Hair falling off when you are getting groomed is a positive sign as it points to your struggle with creating new opportunities in life. It can also mean you fear losing control in case you are grooming or cutting off someone else’s hair.
Hair breaking off in chunks dream means that you cannot clearly tell the cause of your worry. It may be that you are doing something that is slowly leading to failure and regret but do not yet know it or have it in control.
Some of the problems to start of with is family issues. Family problems usually take time to build up and can be hard to deal with. Take a look at what is slowly deteriorating in your life.
A lot of hair falling out at the same time is largely linked to losing money. You may be at verge of bankruptcy or going broke due to poor money management or loss of a job. It is a wake-up call to pay attention to your finances.
Keep in mind that it may not be money, but something else that can easily plunge you into long-term worry and trouble.
The opposite of the above is when short hair falls off in the dream. Short hair falling off signifies a small problem that may be bothering you. This is good news as you can rest easy knowing you are capable of dealing with the problem promptly.
Hair falling out when you are combing it can show you are growing in real life. This indicates that you are in a continuous process of renewal where you are dealing with the old while introducing the new. This is also good news as it shows old problems will now be a thing of the past.
5. Biblical and Spiritual Meaning
You need to go a little bit more careful when you think of dreams in Biblical perspectives. The same applies to spiritual meaning and other religious meaning such as Islam.
Before you ask what a dream about losing hair means in Islam, or your religion, first find out what it means to you personally. Scriptures and spiritual meanings add more value to what is getting revealed in your real life.
The best example from the Bible is Samson. He was born with massive strength which God impacted on him through his hair.
The massive power of Samson would remain to be so if his hair remained uncut for the rest of his life. As you well know the story goes, he ended up telling Delilah his secret, his hair was cut, and the might Samson lost all of his strength.
Hair in this case signified strength, security, and power. Without his hair, Samson was vulnerable, ease to prey, and helpless. He also lost what made him appealing and attractive. If a person is cutting your hair, like in Samson’s case, then you may be afraid that someone is forcibly taking something valuable from you.
In spiritual terms, hair falling out shows that you are faced with some worries, fears, and anxieties you are yet to face. It may be that you know what scares you or you do not.
Hair naturally grows and it coming off means you are not headed in the direction you intend, whether you realize it or not, it may be time for you to stop or take a detour to where you can grow.
6. Similar Dreams
Teeth falling out is one of the dreams that is linked to this one. They are both considered to be bad dreams that point to insecurities, worry, and fear. Both of them can also be triggered by physical ailments like dental and hair problems.
Linking two similar dreams can help uncover what is lying underneath. Concerns may pertain to issues like physical appearance, strength, aging, and health. The linked dreams can also help you understand if the dream comes from physical or psychological concerns.
Appearance concerns may be the issue if you find out you associate your beauty, age, strength, and general appearance to the condition of your hair and teeth.
7. Your Emotions When you Awake
Best for last. This is the most important factor to keep in mind. The mood in which you awake from the dream can help shade a light on what the dream wants to tell you of your unconscious mind. Waking up frightened will let you know the dream was airing out a concern that you need to pay attention to.
However, waking up in a jovial mood can mean you are making the right choices and your unconscious mind is at peace, or wants you to take that step you want.
Positive feelings usually involve a recent opportunity coming your way, especially if the hair falling out made you feel more empowered. This is a sign you should keep on the path you are on.
Negative feelings signify a sense of hopelessness. You can feel hopeless when there are many things weighing you down and you do not thing you can manage them. Hopelessness can arise from a disease that is plaguing you or another person.
You can also feel hopeless when a situation in your life seems to be getting worse and there is nothing you can do to change it. Regret is also another great cause of this sense of hopelessness.
Hair falling out shows that you believe there is no turning back. On the hand, pulling out your hair can indicate a stressful situation in your life that you need to let out.
Also Read:
How Can You Cope with a Dream About Hair Falling Out?
It is important to remember that hair loss is a natural and normal part of life that should not be a cause for concern, regardless of how it makes you feel.
Acknowledging where the insecurity, fear, and anxiety comes from is the first step into healing from what is keeping you terrified in your sleep. You will notice that the dreams will subside once you make peace with what afflicts you in real life.
First thing to tackling this problem is to know how dreams work. According to Healthline, researchers do not yet know the full meaning or purpose of dreams but they have some commonly held theories. Some of them include:
- Dreams act like therapists to help you confront emotional turmoil in your life. This is because the brain operates on a more emotional level when you are asleep helping you make connections about your feelings.
- Dreams can also help bring out our creative selves. This is a common occurrence for artist who wake up with great creative ides after a night’s sleep.
- They help store memories and sort through various lessons you have learned.
- Dreams can become sleeping disorders rather than a part of sleeping. This is the case if you become anxious when going to bed, have frequent sleep disruptions, and if other sleeping and psychological problems are involved. It is an uncommon issue that affects 5% of Americans.
Now that you know where your dreams may be coming from, here are a few tips to help you cope:
- Start by getting to bottom of the triggers and stressors. This is the most important step to getting rid of the dreams.
- Incorporate exercise and other positive routines like meditation into your daily routine.
- Keep you sleep pattern intact and avoid fluctuations or disruption to the rhythm.
- Get out of bed when you have a bad dream and cannot easily go back to sleep, this will help relax and distract your mind for a few minutes and make it easier to sleep.
Final Thoughts
Sigmund Freud theorized that dreams were linked to some form of sexual energy and frustration. Dream about hair falling out can be a clear indicator that you worry about losing your sex appeal and attractiveness.
If someone else’s hair is falling out then it shows you worry of not meeting the other person’s expectations. Another pointer to how you view your own attractiveness.