Fear of Cutting Your Hair (Tonsurephobia ): Causes, Symptoms, Treatments

Tonsurephobia is the fear of cutting one’s hair. The word Tonsurephobia is derived from’ Tonsure,’ which means ‘cut off, and ‘Phobos,’ which means ‘deep fear or aversion.’ While most of us love going to a salon to get our hair done and cut, some people hate the idea of ​​cutting our hair. Children, in particular, are known to develop anxiety or scared of hair cut. Thanks mainly to a bad experience they may have had during their first haircut. Therefore, Tonsurephobia is a genuine and honest phobia, and one needs to understand it, particularly in the case of children.

It is also essential to help the child overcome it as soon as possible. Otherwise, the phobia could continue well into adulthood, affecting self-confidence, self-esteem, and appearance.

Causes of Tonsurephobia

As stated before, children are generally more likely to develop this phobia. The reasons can be numerous – negative traumatic experiences in the past, injury or illness, or simply sitting around while a “hairdresser brute” cuts or cuts his hair – this can create lasting negative memories in the child’s mind.

Your mind then recreates that situation and a flight or fight response to the mere idea or thought of getting a haircut. Some people continue to experience the phobia well into adulthood, while most children outgrow it with age.

Specific deficiencies, pre-existing anxiety disorders, or other social or specific phobias such as Agoraphobia, etc. They can also lead to Tonsurephobia. In many cases, a much more severe underlying problem could be at the bottom of the phobia; therefore, it is essential to treat it as soon as possible.

The idea of ​​the sharp blades getting too close to the head or ears etc. can lead to this type of phobia. For others, it could be the fear of ridicule, teasing, or bullying at school due to the “new image” that can permanently lead to fear of cutting their hair.

You may also be interested in reading: Fear Of Cockroaches: Causes, Symptoms, Treatments.

Symptoms to haircuts

Tonsurephobia symptoms can be categorized into mental, physical, or emotional varieties.

They were crying, shaking, shaking, or screaming at the thought or idea of ​​a haircut. What starts as mere anxiety turns into a panic attack. A child may refuse to sit still or may have to be restrained or physically restrained when cutting their hair.

Some children tend to keep their hair very long to avoid going to the salon to get their hair cut. This causes them to become objects of ridicule, or even ridicule or being called girls. However, this does not stop them, and they continue to refuse to cut their hair categorically.

Women who have Tonsurephobia go to the extreme of shaving all their hair to avoid getting frequent haircuts. Due to this phobia, others might continue to deal with long locks full of split ends.

Mental or emotional symptoms of Tonsurephobia include “seeing pictures of death or death of someone” or experiencing constant thoughts of being injured when the hairdresser cuts your hair with razors or sharp scissors.

The phobia can disrupt relationships in some severe cases or even significantly affect normal functioning at home, school, or work.

Dealing with the phobia of scissors

  • In the case of children with Tonsurephobia, parents can take the following steps to help the child overcome his fear:
  • Comb the child gently at home, several times a day.
  • Let him familiarize himself with the feeling of having water sprayed on his hair or face.
  • Reassure the child. Talk about the steps to cut your hair. Tell him why he needs to cut his hair regularly.
  • Go online and show her pictures of children getting their hair cut.
  • Talk about the tools and gadgets the hairdresser can use, including hair dryers, trimmers, etc.
  • You can take your child to the nearest hairdresser a few times to play and interact with the hairdressers. This can help one get friendly with them, so they feel more comfortable when it is time to get their hair cut.

It is vital that, as parents, you stay calm. It will only worsen if you start to show signs of distress or get angry that the child is not cooperating. Also, it will trigger a tantrum or panic attack in the child.

You must understand that your child’s fear is normal. Take small steps and build confidence in her. Don’t hesitate to reward the child when you see signs of progress.

Find a good hairdresser who knows about this phobia and can deal with it patiently. It will help if the salon you choose has a child-friendly environment and hairdressers who do not judge the child. These tips will help your child overcome his Tonsurephobia slowly and gradually.

For adults who suffer from the fear of cutting their hair, many therapies are available to treat it. The most effective cognitive-behavioral treatment helps the person change how they think about fear. Another effective way to overcome Tonsurephobia is to gradually desensitize yourself by looking at the manipulation tools used by the hairdresser.

One can get acquainted with razors, trimmers, scissors, etc., and even watch how people cut their hair. The final step is to cut your hair without giving in to the panic that you experiences. Here are some important ways to overcome your fear of haircut phobia.

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Hello, how are you? My name is Georgia Tarrant, and I am a clinical psychologist. In everyday life, professional obligations seem to predominate over our personal life. It's as if work takes up more and more of the time we'd love to devote to our love life, our family, or even a moment of leisure.