Is managing hair a sensory overload for people living with autism, especially during this Coronavirus lock down?
- Hair in my eyes or ears feels bad…
- I hated having my hair brushed as a little kid..
- I keep my long hair in a bun 99% of the time. I do not like when it touches my face or tickles my shoulders or arms.
- My long hair is one of my sensory stims..
- I find short hair worse because the sharp ends touch my face, neck and shoulders too much…
- I started shaving the sides of my head in the summer…it decreases the sensory input.
- I have to shave everyday or I go mad…
- I had short hair and I was happy. Since the lockdown, I could not get it cut for more than a month, so now it is against my neck and too short to pull up…I hate it!
- I like to part it in the middle of my neck and around the front of my shoulders/plaits (Indian – ‘two chotees’) …after this I do not touch them too much.
- I use hat and bandanas all the time to keep the bangs out of my face.
- Getting my hair cut and shaving are sensory hell for me, so I let them grow.
- My daughter has long hair and she will not let me brush/disentangle it…I had to cut a small piece out as it was knotted.
- I use long hair as a curtain to hide my face.
- My obsession with clean hair (behavioral) led to having crew cut!
Clear neck area, face and shoulders seem more comfortable to people with autism.
