Why Do Women Cut or Shave Their Hair After Psychological Trauma?

Sarah El Nabulsi confirms a well-established connection between self-care activities like changing one's hairstyle and oxytocin, which helps regulate cortisol and reduce stress. In Arab culture, a woman's long hair has traditionally been considered her "crown", so cutting it after a setback can become a subconscious way of processing that a dream has been disrupted. She notes the behaviour isn't always trauma-driven, and that the same oxytocin mechanism applies to men during major family transitions. She also distinguishes healthy attention-seeking from the pathological need for external validation seen in Borderline Personality Disorder.