Untangling chaetophobia

A loose strand on the neck, hair gathering in the shower drain, or shedding during a stressful week are moments most people brush off.

- TEJAL SINHA

Yet for a steadily growing number of individuals, these ordinary experiences trigger anxiety or an urge to avoid grooming altogether. Experts highlight that this reflects chaetophobia, a little-known but increasingly visible condition in which hair itself becomes a source of fear.

Psychiatrists describe chaetophobia as part of the family of specific phobias, where the brain mistakenly pairs a harmless object with danger. "All phobias develop when the brain begins to associate something neutral with fear," explains Dr Gautami Nagabhirava, consultant psychiatrist at Apollo Clínic, adding, "One unsettling incident, repeated discomfort, or even watching someone else react fearfully can create that link. Once it forms, the anxiety response becomes automatic. Children may also learn the fear by observing adults react intensely to hair fall." Chaetophobia often overlaps with body image concerns, obsessive tendencies, or impulse-control behaviours.

"People with body dysmorphic traits scrutinise their scalp, compare their hair constantly, or worry about thinning that others cannot even see. That self-monitoring magnifies every hair-related trigger," says Dr Gautami. Loose hair may also be viewed as unclean, leading to repeated washing, checking drains or combs, or avoiding bathrooms.