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What It Really Means When You Dream About Your Hair Falling Out

Photo: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock
woman touching hair

We've all had dreams or nightmares that we've awoken from, startled and unsure if what we dreamt was real. Whether it's dreams about dying, your teeth falling out, or other common dreams that plague us, we certainly want to know what these dreams mean.

Another common dream is your hair falling out. It could fall out strand by strand, in clumps, or you may even imagine yourself bald. No matter the circumstances, there are deeper meanings behind this dream and issues you could be facing in your waking life.

What does it mean when you dream about your hair falling out?

In general, dreaming about hair symbolizes your confidence in real life, worrying about your health, and the fear of losing control and your authority. Hair in a dream can also represent the fear of losing loved ones.

Having a dream about losing hair symbolizes loss of control, fear of aging, stress, and health concerns. Additional dream interpretations of hair loss are related to transformation, sensuality, betrayal, the death of a loved one, and feelings of inferiority.

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“Hair, because it domes out of your head, can represent ideas or attitudes, or change. But hair can also represent power, like it does in the Bible story of Samson," says Greg Mahr, MD, psychiatrist, author of "The Wisdom of Dreams," and director of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. "And because hair keeps growing after death, it can have a sacred, spiritual quality of eternity."

While dreaming about losing hair comes with some negative connotations, specifically related to stress and aging, there are other positive aspects of these dreams, depending on the circumstances.

For example, though your dream of hair loss may symbolize a fear of aging, in a positive interpretation, hair loss in a dream can symbolize your acceptance of aging.

Furthermore, losing your hair in a dream is your subconscious bringing your overwhelm from stress and responsibilities come to light. These dreams may also point out your own feelings of feeling insecure or weak, and the feeling of being vulnerable.

Overall, dreams of hair loss represent fear and loss. But pay close attention to the specifics of the dream, because it all makes a difference in what your dreams mean.

What It Means If You Dream About Strands of Hair Falling Out

If you have a dream of strands of hair falling out of your head, this can symbolize anything from career failure, facing danger, a loss of finances, unreciprocated romantic feelings, and overcoming issues from the past.

The color of the hair falling out is especially important to consider if you have this dream. For example, red hair strands falling out can be the revelation of a deep secret, or that there is trouble in the near future.

In addition, where light hair could mean that you are associating with people you don't like or failure to let yourself relax, dark hair is related to trouble in your career.

What It Means If You Dream About Hair Falling Out In Clumps

If your hair is falling out in clumps or chunks, this means you are going through a big transformation and change in an attempt to accomplish your true passions. Consider this dream the nudge you need to take your future in the right direction, trusting yourself along the way.

Additional meanings of this dream relate to your romantic relationships in the real world, and how you don't want your personal goals to interrupt your relationships.

What It Means If You Dream About Someone Else's Hair Falling Out

To dream of someone else having their hair fall out means you need to take a break from the stress of life and make way for some fun and relaxation.

But someone else's hair falling out in your dream can have a negative meaning; it symbolizes your own poor health, whether physically or spiritually. Additionally, this dream could mean someone close to you is struggling with their own mental issues.

What It Means If You Dream About Having No Hair At All

Dreaming about having no hair on your body whatsoever relates directly to the stress you face in everyday life. You may be struggling with issues you're facing in your professional or personal life. But think of this dream as a wake-up call to ask for help if you truly need it.

What It Means If You Dream About Pulling Your Hair Out

To dream of pulling your hair out doesn't mean you will develop trichotillomania in your waking life; rather, it's another dream interpretation related to stress. Adds Mahr, “Pulling hair out can be a metaphor for frustration.”

You're currently worrying about losing control of certain aspects of your life, and this dream indicates that you must take the appropriate steps to gain the upperhand.

What It Means If You Dream About Gradually Losing Your Hair

Gradually losing your hair in a dream, whether it's in strands or clumps, means you may be wasting your time trying to accomplish goals that you aren't invested in, and may be slowly succumbing to the stress associated with that.

This dream also indicates that your sole motivator for accomplishing these goals is money, not self-accomplishment.

What It Means If You Dream About Hair Falling Out After Brushing It

While many hair loss dreams are related to stress, if your hair falls out after brushing it in your dream, it's not a positive message. This dream indicates that there are individuals in your life who are taking control of you, disregarding your needs in the process.

Since hair loss dreams are associated with the loss of control, if you have this dream, make it a goal to reconsider who you're letting into your life, and take the needed steps to regain the power.

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What It Means If You Dream About Going Bald

If your dream involves you with a bald head, or about going bald, it relates to how you perceive yourself in relation to others, as well as the lack of confidence needed to accomplish your goals. This dream also relates to betrayal, both in romantic or platonic relationships, and, adds Mahr, “Depending on the context, baldness can represent aggression.”

It's also essential to note if it's a woman or a man having this dream. If a man dreams of being bald, it means he will receive abundance from others as he grows old; a woman dreaming of being bald, however, relates more to betrayal and the fear of aging.

What It Means If You Dream About Losing Hair After It Catches Fire

Fire in dreams symbolizes cleansing, passion, or even a warning of upcoming danger, so a dream about losing your hair after it catches on fire is related to future difficulties and challenges.

But remember that a dream like this is letting you know that you have the power to overcome any challenges you face, as they are meant to help you grow.

What It Means If You Dream About Losing Gray Hair

Gray hair in a dream may suggest that you're facing stress or anxiety in your life. So if you dream about losing gray hair, even if you don't have gray hair in the waking world, it means you are finally able to overcome those troubles.

What It Means If You Dream About Getting A Haircut

Dreaming of getting a haircut symbolizes a few things. This can mean that you feel like you're losing your strength in real life, you're facing criticism from others, you may be in the process of losing something, you're going through a fresh start, or you are figuring out a new path forward.

Additionally, Mahr says, “A haircut can represent changing ideas, or a change in attitude.”

What It Means If You Dream About Getting Your Head Shaved

Getting your head shaved in a dream is a warning to beware of individuals who shower you with compliments, as they have bad intentions behind their actions. These people are planning to take advantage of you in some way, so be wary of them in the waking world.

Another interpretation, specifically a dream about someone shaving your head against your will, symbolizes others forcing their own ideas on you, with no regard for what you want.

What It Means If You Dream About Having Bald Patches

When you have a dream about having bald patches, specifically on your head, the area that is missing hair is important to pay attention to.

Bald patches on the back of your head symbolize financial ruin or debt, while bald patches on the front of your head mean someone you trust is saying bad things about you behind your back.

In addition, bald patches on the right side of your head relate to high levels of anxiety, while bald patches on the left side mean your partner may soon be faced with their own mortality.

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Samantha Maffucci is an editor for YourTango who has written hundreds of articles about relationships, trending news and entertainment, numerology and astrology. Follow her on Twitter for more.