My attachment to my hair ran deep, growing up I was always overweight, I was the biggest in my group of friends and secretly suffered with disordered and binge eating after the loss of someone very close to me. My size had a massive effect on my self-esteem. I was so self-conscious that I would often try to hide my body or make myself smaller in situations and my hair played a huge part in that.

It became a shield, a form of protection. If I had long hair it would cover me up and divert attention away from my double chin and my round face. The longer my hair, the safer and more hidden and I felt. It was what people noticed first and complimented me on, saying things like, “Oh wow, it’s so gorgeous and long, I would love hair like yours – never cut it!” Or, “You wouldn’t be you without your hair”.

These comments were validation that at least one part of me was beautiful and they fuelled a need for me to keep my hair long.  As the years went on and I gained more weight, the issue with my hair became something more serious. I would go months without cutting it so it would stay as long as possible and when eventually I did get it cut I would get upset if more than a tiny bit was taken off.

Even after I discovered the world of body positivity by sharing my life on my blog, my issue with my hair remained, in fact it got bigger. When I gained followers on social media channels I continued to be known for my mermaid locks. No matter what outfit I put on, no matter how daring it was for me, I felt far less self conscious so long as my hair was the focus of it.

Body positive blogger Callie Thorpe explains how she overcame an emotional attachment to her hair