Dreams of losing your hair can mirror a worry about real hair loss, but they may also point to anxieties about things like mortality, illness, or diminished sexual attractiveness. Often, these dreams signal stress.
As you run your fingers through your hair in the dream, you notice everyone watching you. Some faces register shock — and is that person over there laughing? You look at your palms and see clumps of hair.
You begin sweating as you inspect the crown of your head and find smooth skin where hair once was.
Dreams about hair falling out aren’t rare. They can occur if you’re concerned about losing hair. Yet many people who aren’t worried about their hair still experience the same dream.
Keep reading to discover what dreams about hair slipping away might indicate and whether there’s anything you can do to reduce them.
Does hair carry symbolic meaning in dreams?
Like any object in a dream, hair’s meaning varies from person to person. Much depends on cultural associations and your own history with hair.
Do you associate a full head of hair with virility? With vigor and good health? With attractiveness and sensuality?
If you prize your hair in waking life, it may stand for something important to you. If your hair is merely a nuisance, it might signify something you wish to discard.
What might dreams of losing hair say about you?
A 2020 review notes that some researchers believe the detail of a dream may be less crucial than how you react to it.
When your hair fell out in the dream, did you feel liberated and light or terrified and ashamed? That emotional response can reveal what hair symbolizes in your dream life.
Dreaming about hair loss might relate to:
- a fear of getting older or dying
- a sense of losing control
- feeling less appealing or sensual
- undergoing a major life change
- worry about health
- heightened stress
Dreams in which hair comes out in handfuls
Sometimes dreams are straightforward. If you’re already anxious about shedding hair, that worry can appear directly in your dreams.
A small study found that trying to suppress certain thoughts before sleep increased dreaming about those very thoughts.
This is likely when hair loss is probable or already occurring because you:
- take medicines that may cause hair thinning
- are receiving chemotherapy
- have conditions such as alopecia, cancer, female- or male-pattern baldness
What if you dream about someone else’s hair falling out?
Dreaming that another person is losing hair can have multiple interpretations.
You may clarify its meaning by first considering what hair means to you and then reflecting on what that individual represents.
For instance, if the person is your partner, are you worried about their wellbeing or attractiveness? If it’s a stranger, consider their most distinctive traits and what those traits symbolize in your own life.
Are dreams about hair loss related to dreams of losing teeth?
Dreams about teeth falling out are among the most common dream motifs.
Just as hair dreams can reflect concerns about hair loss, dreams about teeth may be triggered by real dental issues.
Both themes share the idea of losing a physical part of yourself, which could symbolize worries about:
- health
- aging
- appearance
There may also be a less literal meaning: the sense that you’re losing some emotional or spiritual piece of yourself.
Can you stop dreams about hair falling out?
Controlling dream content is difficult, but if upsetting dreams become common, these strategies might help:
- Identify stressors that provoke bad dreams and address them while awake.
- Reduce stress with regular physical activity — avoid exercising too close to bedtime.
- Spend a few minutes meditating before bed.
- Keep sleep times consistent.
- Maintain a comfortable bedroom temperature and minimize noise and light.
- Remove electronics and turn alarm displays away from view.
- Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol in the hours before sleep.
If you wake from a distressing dream and can’t fall back asleep, get up and do a calming activity like reading until you feel ready to return to bed.
How dreaming functions
Researching dreams is challenging, so the exact purpose of dreaming remains uncertain. Some ideas suggest dreams:
- help process daytime events and psychological needs
- act as rehearsal for fight-or-flight responses
- assist in organizing and storing memories
- spark creativity
- reveal deep-seated thoughts, feelings, and anxieties
- might simply be a by-product of sleep with no particular function
Dreams come in many forms. If you awaken terrified, you’ve likely had a nightmare, which can stem from:
- an uncomfortable sleeping position
- illness
- stress or anxiety
- medication side effects
Takeaway
Dreams of hair falling out are quite common.
They may express your fear of actually losing hair. But depending on what hair personally represents to you, the dream might not be about hair at all.
If you can’t pinpoint a cause for an occasional dream, there’s usually no need for alarm. However, if vivid dreams are frequent and distressing, a therapist or other mental health professional can help you explore the feelings behind them.
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