What Does It Mean When You Dream About Your Hair Falling Out?

Did you know that everyone dreams, every single night? It's almost a preposterous thought because most of us only recall a dream here and there. There are also people who claim they never dream or can't remember the last time they had a dream.

According to Medical News Today, we all dream three to five times every night, and those dreams last between five and 20 minutes! The problem is that by the time you get up, you've already forgotten 95% of them. Our brain is constantly plugging away and even when we sleep, it's trying to work through things for us. When we dream, our brain is finding ways to alleviate the anxiety we feel, scanning potential threats, or simply processing our day.

In addition, there are several types of dreams, including lucid, fantasy, nightmares, and symbolic dreams, as well as dreams that solve problems (via Psychology Today). There are also common themes such as dreaming that you're skydiving or walking around naked in public. One of the most common is dreaming about your hair falling out.

Some people dream about their hair falling out and it doesn't necessarily bother them. Experts agree that what you dream isn't as important as what you think about it (via Healthline). Like many situations in life, it's not always what happens but how you react to what happens.

If you have a bad response to the thought of your hair falling out or if it stays with you negatively throughout the day, it's worth investigating what the dream may mean to you.

The most obvious answer is that losing your hair may be on your mind. You may unconsciously or even consciously fear it, so when you sleep your mind tries to work away at that nagging thought in an attempt for some sort of resolution. Losing hair can reveal feelings of getting older, losing your beauty or sexual attraction, or it can just represent a poor self-image (via Dream Dictionary). After all, hair has traditionally been seen as an alluring symbol of youth and vitality. 

Hair can also have a deeper meaning than merely appearance. According to dream analyst Lauri Loewenberg, hair can symbolize core ideologies (via Romper). "Typically, hair to the dreaming mind represents thoughts, ideas, beliefs and/or that which is on our mind," says Loewenberg.

When you think about hair falling out, it's a final act. Once it falls out, it's not something that can instantly be fixed. In that way, losing hair in a dream can also reflect a sense of being unfixable. Dream analyst Adora Winquist tells Romper, "Dreaming about your hair falling speaks to a loss of control in your life."

If you have recurrent dreams of your hair falling out, it helps to try to alleviate your stress in the daytime (via Healthline). Opt for a long walk or quick run, a yoga class, or a meditation session. Then make sure your sleep hygiene is optimal. Turn off the screens before bedtime, avoid heavy meals, and try to go to sleep in a cool, dark room at the same time every night.