Dream symbols: Hair and what it means

Biblical meaning of hair in dreams, including dreaming of long hair, short hair, curly hair, hair falling out, hair colours, brushing hair, visiting the hairdresser, washing hair, and cutting hair.

Have you ever had dreams about hair?

What does hair mean spiritually in a dream?

In this article we will take inspiration from the bible to investigate the prophetic meaning of hair in dreams and visions, and what that means for us in practical terms.

We will explore the symbolic meaning of hair in positive and negative contexts, with some real dream examples too!

I approach dream interpretation from a biblical perspective. My belief is that our dreams can come from God, and understanding them is best understood within the context of an ongoing relationship with Him.

Contents

• Introducing hair in dreams
  • Meaning of hair in dreams: Understanding
• Common hair symbols in dreams
  • Dreaming of visiting the hairdressers, barbers, or hair salon
  • Coloured or dyed hair in dreams
  • Hair that is not on our head
  • Other potential meanings of hair
• Conclusion

Firstly, if you have just come across this post and are new to dream interpretation, it is worth mentioning that dreams are symbolic in nature. You might find it helpful to read the following article: Understand your dreams: A bible-based introduction to dream language. Plus, see my FREE ultimate guide to Interpreting Dreams from God.

Secondly, remember that dreams are personal, so the meanings that I suggest may not apply to your specific dream. But please feel free to use my ideas as a springboard to thinking and praying about dreams yourself. Don’t take my ideas as gospel, but rather let them help you start to think metaphorically.

Introducing hair in dreams

Have you ever dreamed about hair? Dreams about hair are common, for example:

• Dreaming of cutting hair or hair loss
• Dreaming of hair growth
• Dreaming about long hair, bushy hair, curly hair, or short hair
• Washing hair dreams
• Dreaming of dyeing hair or coloured hair (grey hair, white hair, etc.)

I have interpreted many hundreds of dreams about hair over the past 15 years and reviewed them all with hindsight. I have found that hair is a foundational dream symbol, and the meaning is not necessarily what the common dream meaning websites tell you!

I have found that many dream dictionaries and websites miss what hair most commonly means in dreams and visions.

As with any dream symbol, hair potentially has both positive and negative meanings. The context, feeling and atmosphere of a dream will give us clues to help us determine whether to interpret it in a positive or negative way. Plus, the action relating to the hair is very important.

Meaning of hair in dreams: Understanding

In my experience of dreams, dreaming about hair is nearly always about an aspect of our thinking or understanding. I have been through 15 years’ worth of my own dreams about hair – and they were all about my understanding and ability to mentally process things.

This is because hair is on our head, and our head contains our brain which we use for thinking. Even hair that is not on our head can represent our understanding!

A biblical perspective on understanding

So why does God give us hair dreams like this, and how should we respond?

Our mind is neither good nor bad. It is where we are drawing information from and how we are processing that information that determines whether it is a positive or negative influence in our life.

When our understanding is flowing from God’s Spirit within us, then our mind is a tremendous blessing; it helps us process things, organise our thoughts, and make informed decisions. This would be symbolised by hair appearing in our dreams in a positive context, such as hair appearing smart, beautiful, healthy, or clean.

• Proverbs 2:6, NASB For the Lord gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.

If we are looking at the world around us and letting that frame our understanding, then it is easy to get confused or anxious – and lose the ability to think clearly or make decisions. In a dream, this might manifest as losing hair, unkempt hair, or some other negative context relating to our hair such as needing a haircut or needing to wash our hair.

We must constantly allow God to renew our understanding. It is a work in progress, and a big part of that is correcting any unhelpful thinking and thought patterns we have adopted or inherited.

• Romans 12:3, NASB And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

The point of these dreams is not to condemn us – but rather alert us so we can take ownership of the situation and do something about it.

God always brings hope for change, so if he highlights a problem with our thinking through a dream about hair, it means that he wants to help us change it.

Our best response to hair dreams would be open our mind to the possibility that God wants to change our mindset, belief, or understanding. We can seek God and invite him to do so if he wants.

Common hair symbols in dreams

Here are some common dream scenarios involving hair, explained in the context of hair symbolising our mind and understanding:

Cutting our hair: Dreaming of having or needing a haircut could be about adjusting our thinking and removing unhelpful ideas.

Baldness: Dreaming of being bald or having no hair might be about having no understanding in an area or it could be a humble attitude – coming with no preconceived ideas. It could even be a wordplay for ‘boldness’!

Drying hair: Dreams of putting hair in rollers, drying hair, or having our hair under the dryer could be us taking time to process new ideas.

Hair loss: In a negative context, dreaming of losing hair or hair falling out could be losing our ability to think clearly, whereas dreaming of shaving off hair in a positive context might be getting rid of old or unhelpful ideas.

Headlice: Dreaming of lice, nits, or bugs in our hair – or needing to remove them with a comb, could be about wrong ideas that need to be removed.

Long hair: Dreams of long hair could symbolise thinking we have had for a long time.

Short hair: Dreams of short hair could be about a relatively new idea.

Straightening hair: Dreaming of brushing/combing hair or using hair straighteners could be about getting our thoughts straight.

Washing hair: Dreams of washing our hair could be about the Holy Spirit changing, cleansing, or renewing our mind. See also bathroom dreams for the different between baths and showers. Water is usually the Holy Spirit. Shampoo, hair oil, or styling gel might also symbolise the Holy Spirit in a positive context.

Wild hair: Dreams of wild hair, bushy hair, wavy hair, curly hair, or flyaway hair could be wild thoughts or confusion that need to be calmed. But this could also be positive if God is in the process of challenging, changing, and renewing our thinking.

Real dream examples: Hair

Dream	Meaning	Notes
I dreamed there was a wedding and the bride came in with lights in her hair.	I was about to realise some truths because of my relationship with God.	Lights can be understanding, as can hair. A wedding can be agreeing with an idea plus intimacy with God.
I dreamed I found a load of purple bugs in my hair.	I had some wrong thinking about authority that God wanted to change.	Purple often symbolises authority, and hair was thinking.
I dreamed I asked someone to straighten my hair. They spent a while styling it, but it looked short, curly, and sticking up with highlights. I said I wanted it straight like before.	I was desperate to hear from God at that time, but this dream was telling me I needed to be patient and trust God without understanding for a while.	The hair was being styled, letting me know that God was working on renewing my mind, but it would be a messy process, and be a while before my thoughts felt straight again!
I dreamed I went into a room to wash my hair. I had it all lathered with shampoo, but then I couldn’t rinse it. The only bowl I could see was dirty beige with a hole in the bottom.	This dream was alerting me that the thinking of people in my environment was stopping me receiving or retaining new understanding that the Holy Spirit wanted to impart to me.	The bowl represented a community. Beige was natural rather than heavenly. The Holy Spirit is often symbolised by water and was also reflected by the shampoo.
I dreamed I washed my hair in the shower, but it was very long so took ages to dry.	I had a mindset God wanted to change, but it would take me ages to process because I had believed it for so long.	Long hair can indicate a long time. The shower was revelation from the Holy Spirit.

Dreaming of visiting the hairdressers, barbers, or hair salon

Dreaming of getting a haircut, visiting the barbers, hairdressers, or hair salon, or dreaming of someone doing our hair, could also be about adjusting our thinking. In this scenario:

• Dreaming of having a hair appointment or needing our hair done suggests that God wants to change our understanding, so the dream can help us be open to that.
• In a positive context, the hairdresser or barber could represent God or the Holy Spirit, who is wanting to renew our mind in some way.
• The hairdresser or barber could also symbolise who or what is influencing our thinking – whether positive or negative.

Real dream examples: Hairdressers and haircuts

Dream	Meaning	Notes
I dreamed it was time for my hairdresser appointment and I would need to spend the day with it in rollers afterwards.	God was about to shift my thinking in an area, and it would take me the rest of the year to process it.	A day can symbolise a year. Hair in rollers was about processing the new idea (letting it go round in my head).
I dreamed my hairdresser asked me if I wanted to shower or just let them wash my hair. I said she may as well just wash my hair, so I leaned back to put my head in the sink. Later, I heard that the hairdresser had been killed.	I was allowing my environment and what I had been taught to determine my thinking (sink), rather than listening directly to the Holy Spirit (shower). But God was going to bring that to an end.	In this scenario the hairdresser was negative and represented what was influencing my thinking. Them ‘dying’ symbolised its influence coming to an end.
I dreamed my son was giving someone a haircut. He was dancing round like an idiot, randomly snipping bits off their hair. Something went a bit wrong, and he cut it too short!	This was alerting me that I was getting a bit wild with my ideas and thoughts from reviewing my dreams, so I should calm down and go back over them.	This particular son usually represents my dream life (I have established this over the years). So, this scene reflects me understanding my dreams.

Coloured or dyed hair in dreams

What is the meaning of dyeing hair in dreams? What about different colours? What is the meaning of white hair or grey hair, for example?

Hair colour can be important in dreams. Consider the following:

• If the person with coloured hair is reflecting ourselves, the hair colour often ties in with the thinking/understanding aspect to give the meaning.
• The hair colour might be the main point in itself, and the person in the dream could represent whatever thing the colour represents, such as revelation (blue) or grace (silver). See people in dreams for more ideas.
• Take note of the words you use to describe the hair when you retell or write down the dream. For example, do you describe it as black or dark? Is it fair or blonde? Do you see it as strawberry blonde – in which case it might be more about fruitfulness like a strawberry? Do you describe it as red hair or ginger hair? Look for puns and wordplay.

Here are some common hair colours and their potential biblical and spiritual meanings in dreams and visions:

Black hair: In a positive context, black is the colour of divine mystery, so dreams of black hair could be something we don’t understand yet, but we will in the future. In a negative context, black or dark hair could symbolise a difficult time of not understanding, or a dark thought/idea that is not from God.

Blonde hair: If it appears yellow, dreaming of blonde or fair hair could represent a thought, idea, or understanding. Whereas if it is golden hair, it could represent a godly thought that has come through testing (positive), or an idolatrous thought (negative).

Brown hair: Dreaming of brown hair could be about a humble attitude (positive) or human natural thinking that’s not from God (negative context). A brown-haired person might represent a pastor – depending on the context.

Grey hair: The biblical meaning of grey/gray hair in dreams can be about spiritual maturity (positive) or uncertainty (negative).

Red or ginger hair: Red hair could be a wordplay on the colour red, meaning wisdom, anointing, or power (either positive or negative). It could also be prophetic understanding. If the hair appears orange, it might be about the need to persevere with a particular idea – or in a negative context it could be a stubborn idea.

White hair: White hair in dreams could symbolise pure godly thinking (positive) or religious thinking (negative). A white-haired person could be the Holy Spirit (positive context) or a religious spirit (negative).

For other dyed hair colours such as silver hair, gold hair, purple hair, blue hair, yellow hair, green hair, and pink hair, see the following article for colour ideas and meanings:

Hair that is not on our head

Even hair that is not on our head can be about thoughts and understanding.

The meaning of hair in those places is closely linked to the part of the body it is on. Consider the function of that body part, then reflect on now the hair aspect fits in. Here are some examples to demonstrate how this might work:

Beard: Beards and facial hair could have many personal and cultural meanings. The state of the beard might reflect on that person’s inner wellbeing and thoughts. Beards are also around the mouth, so it could be someone making their views known/obvious.

Eyebrows: Eyes are mostly linked to clarity, spiritual sight, and vision, so eyebrows could be wisdom and understanding in that, or maybe we need to adjust our understanding to see clearly. They are also expression/feeling indicators (e.g. raised eyebrows).

Hair on legs: Legs are usually about our life journey. So dreaming of hair on legs (positive) might mean we have the understanding we need to do things; shaving legs might mean we need to remove wrong understanding in order to function well.

Pubic hair: Private parts in dreams can be about intimacy with God. So hair on those areas could be about understanding coming from our relationship with God, or our inner/private thoughts.

Underarm hair: Arms are generally about doing things, so dreaming of underarm hair can be about the understanding that enables us to do something. Needing to shave could mean getting rid of unhelpful thinking which is hindering our ability. Smelly, hairy, or unpleasant armpits could be about us trying to do things in our own strength (works) rather than by the Spirit (grace).

Other potential meanings of hair

Hair representing our internal state

In the bible, the state of someone’s hair was sometimes used as an illustration of their general state of mental health and wellbeing.

• In Daniel 4:33, King Nebuchadnezzar’s hair grew long and unkempt during his time of madness.
• The Levitical priests had to maintain well-kept hair and good presentation, e.g. Leviticus 21:10.

So, hair could appear in a similar way in dreams, to give insight into the condition of the person / attribute they are symbolising.

Personal and cultural meanings of hair

Hair can also have personal and cultural meanings and associations, as can different hair types, styles, and colours.

For example, in bible times, if someone took a Nazirite vow, the hair would be grown long as a sign of dedication. It could then be cut off and presented as an offering to God, as in Numbers 6:5 and Numbers 6:18.

Samson is famous for growing is hair in accordance with a Nazirite vow. Delilah cut off his hair (Judges 16:19), which caused his strength to leave him.

It wasn’t so much the hair that gave him strength but God’s anointing. But for him, his hair symbolised his dedication to God according to the vow, and when it was cut that vow was broken – so he lost his strength.

In Luke 12:7 Jesus used the analogy of the number of hairs on our head to illustrate how valuable we are to God.

Hair could also appear in personal and cultural ways in our dreams, if our hair means something special to us, or between us and God.

My hair is dark brown in real life. But my name means ‘fair and trusting’, so God often uses a fair-haired person in my dreams to represent me when I am living up to that name!

Conclusion

We have seen how dreaming about hair is usually about thinking and understanding, because it normally grows on our head. Even hair that is not on our head can be about our thinking.

We have also seen that the colour of the hair can also be a vital clue in determining its meaning, and hair can have personal and cultural associations.

If you have just realised that God is speaking to you about your thoughts and understanding, make sure to talk to him about it.

Here are a few closing thoughts:

• Hair in a dream could represent any number of things. The above ideas should give you a good starting point. 
• I believe that only God can tell us what the hair means in a specific dream, so you could try asking Him!
• Consider the atmosphere and context of the dream to see whether the hair appears in a positive or negative sense.
• In addition to the meanings that I have shared, remember that it could mean something personal or culturally significant to you, that isn’t mentioned here.

The meaning of hair as symbolising our thinking is different from what most dream dictionaries tell you, but from reviewing real dreams over many years I am convinced this is how God most frequently uses hair in dreams.

So, if this resonates with you and has helped you interpret a dream, please do like and SHARE this article… and let’s GET THE MESSAGE OUT THERE!!!