Do people ever pet your hair?

[Not Lillith]

I cannot be the only person this happens to.

At the CS desk today, I was helping a 40ish old lady with a return and she had her arm in a sling. She mentioned that she had just taken some pain meds and then went on about how pretty my hair was and then just reached out and petted me a couple of times. She must have been higher than a kite

Usually it's just little old ladies who like to pet my hair.

[raudf]

I'm a natural redhead. As a kid, I'd get ladies from all walks of life wanting to touch my freaking hair for no apparent reason. It'd tick Mom off to the point that when ladies would comment, she'd shift me out of harm's way.

As an adult, anyone other than hubby or a stylist touching my hair is gonna pull back a stump. Fortunately, since I avoid the sun now, the red has darkened down a bit and people don't find it so damned "adorable."

[Food Lady]

No, but they pet my stomach. I just get comments on my hair because I have that loose Julia Roberts curl. No one touches it except close friends, which is ok with me.

[Not Lillith]

I will say that I occasionaly get a strong urge to touch other people's hair, but so far I've been pretty good at resisting.

Who knows? Maybe when I'm 80 I won't care anymore. When I'm on pain meds I know better than to allow myself to be out in the general public.


Food Lady - Your stomach? Are you pregnant? I pretty much try to avoid touching pregnant women unless they invite me to touch them. I like my arms muchly. thx.

[Lyse]

I am a redhead with hip length hair - I hate when total strangers think that they can just start touching. They get anything from a bitchy look to a lecture in touching people without permission. The old man that barely brushed my hair and told me, with a teary look, that his late wife had hair just like mine - he got a pass, though.

[Blue Ginger]

I am a redhead with hip length hair - I hate when total strangers think that they can just start touching.

Gah! The hair touchers. God I hate when people do that.

I have ginger hair. It has gone a bit browner the last 3 years - but it is still more on the orange side. Mine was waist length too, until we discovered the weight was causing my migraines. I still miss it and it's been cut since 1998.

I put a guy in hospital that would not get the hint to leave me alone and stop petting my hair in a nightclub. Even after I told him, repeatedly, to F-off. My friends and his friends told him to F-off and leave me alone.

Generally moving away and giving people the death glare works for me.

[Amina516]

I have waist length dark hair. I had it in a braid the other day and had a patient, not once, not twice but 3 separate times reach up and try to pet my hair, from the crown of my head to the tip of my braid. The first time I was kinda in shock and she got all the way down. 2nd and 3rd time she tried, she didn't get very far as. Was able to swerve away. 4th time saw her coming and avoided it altogether. She was a sneaky little lady!

I did ask her not to do that, but I'm pretty sure she was high on something and just wasn't getting it.

[Lyse]

Ah, yes. I generally put my hair completely up, or under a crocheted snood/hairnet when working with patients for that reason. Well, that and to keep my hair out of things that I don't want it falling into - ewww.

[Aethian]

My ex used too and I miss it.

[bhskittykatt]

My hair is pretty coarse, and I typically have it bunned up.

Rings, on the other hand...I've had guests reach across the counter and forcibly grab my wrist and drag it back to their side so they could ooh and ahh over my jewelry. I've even gotten a couple bruises from people clamping down on my wrists and yanking. I don't wear a lot of jewelry anymore...

[dragon_wings]

I've had people want to touch my hair when I faux hawk'ed (gelled all to hell to stay up it looked stiff) and after I dyed it purple. Mine's short though.

[mharbourgirl]

On the subject of red hair, I have to ask the UK folks: Why in the blue hells is it called 'ginger' over there? I have never been able to figure this out. Ginger is a dull yellow shade. Not orange. Not even remotely orange. I should know, I cook with it a LOT.

How on earth did orange hair ever come to be called ginger???

[BrenDAnn]

I have long, thick, dark hair, which is a shade of dark brown/auburn that's nearly black that just seems to fascinate people. It's mostly co-workers that get the urge to ooh and ahh and pet. So annoying. I have one co-worker who wants to braid my hair. Um...weeeeeeird!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I have never had my hair petted, but I have had my arm stroked.

By old women. /shudder

[Food Lady]

I will say that I occasionaly get a strong urge to touch other people's hair, but so far I've been pretty good at resisting.

Who knows? Maybe when I'm 80 I won't care anymore. When I'm on pain meds I know better than to allow myself to be out in the general public.


Food Lady - Your stomach? Are you pregnant? I pretty much try to avoid touching pregnant women unless they invite me to touch them. I like my arms muchly. thx.

It's even worse: I'm not, nor have I ever been, nor will I ever be.