From bunfucks to hairjobs, we explore what it means to be turned on by hair and how it impacts everyday life
Whether you consider yourself Dr Sex or a tad vanilla, everyone has their sexual kinks and quirks. You only have to scroll the categories on any pornography website to understand the wide breadth of what these could be, from foodplay to feet and robots to rope – there’s something for everyone. But trichophilia, or hair fetishism – specifically head hair – is a sexual fantasy that predates contemporary porn.
There’s no denying that the sanctity of hair has been around for centuries, both in reality and fiction. You have the likes of Samson, whose strength was in his hair, Rapunzel, made famous by the Brothers Grimm fairytale, and Lady Godiva, who rode through the streets on horseback entirely naked, covered by nothing but her long wavy tresses. And in a multitude of faiths, hair is also considered to be a very important physical trait. Some Muslim women cover their hair to maintain modesty and privacy from men, while Pentecostal Christians refrain from cutting their hair entirely, as they are taught that long hair is a sacred gift and part of a women’s glory… the list goes on.
Hair fetishist Josh, a 37-year-old from Manchester, is particularly interested in slick, straight hair, ideally waist-length or longer, and preferably brunette. “I’ve now decided to accept that it is who I am and that I am someone with a hair fetish,” he explains, saying that seeing his ideal hair profile can offer instant arousal. “The blood starts pumping, the heart rate goes up, I get a boner, and so on. Hair is extremely sexual for me, and seeing beautiful long hair on the street will turn me on. Of course, I’d wonder how it smells, what kind of shampoo she’s using, and how it would feel on my skin. The softness of hair is otherworldly for me, and there is nothing that can compare to the feeling.” He can’t remember the moment that his hair fetish clicked for him, but remembers “falling in love” at the age of eight with his classmate who had the longest hair in school.
Beyond the arousal, there are also ways in which hair can become an active sexual tool in the bedroom. For some, the mere opportunity to stroke, brush and wash the hair can be immensely titillating, but hair can also be utilised as a device in many niche sex acts. In some instances, braids can be used in place of hand ties or blindfolds or it can be used as a device to tickle, but the crowning jewel of the hair partialist is the hairjob, where the hair is wrapped around the penis and tugged in order to induce orgasm. Bunfucks are utilised to similar effect, but don’t require much explanation…
With the rise of OnlyFans and ManyVids, there’s more access to long-haired porn performers than ever before who are happy to create this kind of content, like 24-year-old Ekaterina from Santiago. Despite a fairly modest following, her loyal fanbase are allowing her to make a generous income from her hair-specific material. The content creator is inundated daily with messages from people with hair fetishism asking for bespoke content or live chats in order to feel fully connected with her luscious locks. “The most popular requests are hairjobs, bunfucks, and hair-pulling,” she explains. “They prefer to see my hair loose or styled in a specific way. My fans ask me to show myself naked, playing with my hair, braiding it, smelling it, or putting it in my mouth. It works well because I can always turn their hair fantasies into a reality.”
“My fans prefer to see my hair loose or styled in a specific way. They ask me to show myself naked, playing with my hair, braiding it, smelling it, or putting it in my mouth. It works well because I can always turn their hair fantasies into a reality” – Ekaterina, long-haired porn performer
Her fans come from a multitude of backgrounds across the world, including Israel, Kuwait, Finland, and Saudi Arabia. Despite their differences, she says that many are united in one common fantasy: worshipping the hair of a fragile princess with a big appetite for sex. Taking care of her hair can be a full-time task, and the upkeep means hours of hair care every week. But when it measures around 51 inches in length, it isn’t without its issues. Everyday tasks like sleeping, taking a bath or catching a cab have to be carefully considered. But despite the problems, she admits “I love my super long hair, and I wouldn’t change it for the world”, which means a trim is entirely out of the question.
On the other end of the spectrum is 43-year-old Phil from New York City. He’s into short, shaved hair, as opposed to the long, flowing kind. Phil first realised he was intrigued by head hair (or the lack thereof) when he was seven-years-old. He recalls sitting behind a boy in class who had his neck shaved high and close, and he yearned to reach out and touch it. As he hit puberty and started to become interested in women, he realised that he found it a particular turn on when women would change up their hairstyles.
“I’m most attracted to hair that is very straight, and haircuts that are cut in a blunt fashion, such as a bob haircut which ends at the chin. When the style involves a shaved back of the neck (the nape area) the excitement grows 100 fold,” he explains. “I find that very sexually exciting. Through the years, there have been a couple of women that have entertained this fetish and would wear a wig and then let me cut it into a short bob style. Very short hairstyles with some nice hoop earrings or an ultimate look for me, and just make me feel very primal.”
To Miranda Christophers, a sex and relationship psychotherapist from London, these kind of fetishes are quite common, explaining that between 25 per cent and 50 per cent of people openly admit to possessing one. She says that kinks appear more frequently in males, however, is aware that social conditioning may have made it more difficult for females to talk about anything they may perceive as ‘not normal’, particularly when it comes to their sexual preferences.
With regards to hair fetishism, Christophers believes it’s more common than we think, and that it’s likely triggered in childhood. “Within many societies, hair is representative of health and youthfulness, it is often desirable or may be deemed an attractive feature. Young children will touch their caregiver’s hair, and so hair may come to represent comfort. Perhaps we first notice an attraction to a person with a particular colour or hair length, perhaps we feared having our hair cut, or desired to cut someone else’s.”
When it comes to working with individuals with hair fetishism, she seeks to understand whether it is bothersome for the person to their everyday living. One of the biggest issues with hair partialism is that the individual tends to seek out people with their preferred hair type, which can cause some issues in life and relationships. “It’s important to realise that if they have a true fetish, then the person will not be able to get aroused without it, which may be very problematic. It can be the case with a hair fetish, that they prefer the hair a certain length, style or colour – what then happens if a partner changes it?” she explains. “It can be very hard to let go of a fetish and it is often the case with a well-developed fetish that it is something that is actually very important to that person.”
For Josh, his hair partialism does have an effect on his relationships and admits that it would be hard for him to get into a relationship with someone who has short hair. He recognises that it’s superficial, but acknowledges that it’s something he has no control over. “I tried it once, and I really felt bad. It was as if I was wasting someone’s time. They deserve the attention and love that I wouldn’t be able to give them, and the last thing I want to do is hurt someone based on my kinks. Moreover, I doubt it would be nice to know that your boyfriend is dreaming about something you don’t have and that they keep looking at other girls.”
“To be honest, I just love long hair wrapped tightly around my cock, and I won’t apologise for that” – Josh, hair fetishist
Phil echoes the sentiment, saying that the hairstyle is the first thing he will notice on a woman, but admits he isn’t too bothered about dating long-haired women. “It could be an exciting time for me assuming that there is a slight change in the style. The frustrating part is when women get a haircut once every 6 months and they just trim a millimetre off the end!”
Therapy around this is a journey, and it takes time to address unresolved issues which may be attached to the fetish. Despite this, Christophers notes that having a kink can also be a rewarding sexual experience if properly controlled, and isn’t necessarily something to be revered. For Josh, he’s proud of his fetish and admits that it brings something exciting to his sex life. He isn’t looking to change his habits anytime soon. “To be honest, I just love long hair wrapped tightly around my cock, and I won’t apologise for that.”