Hairdresser Refuses To Shave Depressed Teen’s Hair, Spends 13 Hours Fixing It

It's these sort of things that help to restore my faith in humanity

It just goes to show that good things can happen and good people do exist.

Two days and 13 hours is not the same as 13 hours split between two days!

For those who say the parents where not helping! You don't know the journey the whole family has taken you just see one persons results. When your child is 15-16 years old and are dealing with low self-esteem and a major depressive disorder, there is nothing you can promise or punish to get them to do something they don't want to do. You really are at a loss and regular psychiatry appointment are difficult if the refuse to participate. So please don't blame just praise the stylist for her never say die spirit and pray for the young lady and her family.

I love you for what you did ! Being a sufferer of depression, I know just how hard it was for that beautiful girl to get to your saloon. I salute you for accepting her like she is, without jugement and kindness. I hope that she find a treatement that works for her. Hugs and kisses to both of you <3

I've had a somewhat similar experience with my hair stylist a little over three years back, giving me a much needed boost of confidence at the time.

WHAT I take away from this is... don't let depression hold you hostage, it will do a number on you- physically, mentally and spiritually! I've had several family members that have battled with depression, my late Mother being one of them, and seeing first hand to what it does to a person really takes it out of you to witness another human being suffer without getting help. Seek help, because you're not the only one going through it.

Agree with some. Why the hell did the parents do nothing?

Depression drains the life out of you. Overcoming it may require fixing imperfections that brings you down. Well done Ms. Olsson, you just saved a precious God given life.

As someone who suffers from depression frequently this article almost made me cry. For once it was not because the world is cruel but because this stylist took the time and made the effort to help this girl feel beautiful again. If you have never suffered from depression you probably will not understand why this is such a big deal, but to this girl it meant everything. So thank you for helping her.

Sometimes a depressed teen doesnt want the parents to force her to clean or groom herself. A lack of self-care - especially haircare - is a sign of compromised mental health. Thank you to the understanding hairdresser. X

Please do not blame the parents , nor anyone else about the girl's depression. The parents were probably suffering, too. Often it is an impulse from the outside world that improves things. A big thank you to the hair stylist!

im a stroke survivor as i am also living with Severe Anxiety disorder that 2 winters ago it got so bad I was in the ER 5 out of 7 days for quite a few months. I am a 50 yr old grandmother ands mother of 4 (each). Something Ive been telling people for years, :we are not only parents of our own children, but of every child. Who says we should give up mothering simply because we are not their parent. To Hair dresser~ Thank you for taking the tim e to show another womans child how it feels to be loved. I only pray that if my children are ever in need (or my GC) that you are there to be Mom or GMom stand in for me. And I yours as well!!!

I'm a stylist. Stories similar to these happen all the time. I've spent hours transforming someone and the delight on their face makes it so worth it.

The article makes you smile, and the comments bring you back to reality. Modern times.

To the stylist, you are a true blessing to this young girl.

People who blame parents clearly never had a depressed teen. Shame on you for shaming parents. Compassion please...for all.

Thanks to the stylist who helped this young lady- I'm hoping that the depression is treated further than appearance- she needs further help

I just want to point out that I suffer from major depressive disorder and some of this is hereditary. Before you go bashing her parents they may need help themselves. Many people that have depression are in denial especially when people who don't understand it are telling them to get over it, or it's all in your head. I watched my mama cry because she had to get all her hair cut off too. When one sick person is taking care of another it doesn't usually work out. Please pray for the family.

I understand how she feels... ive cut all my hair off for the same reason she was wanting too. It was such a mess... i feel like a worthless waste of life.

My daughter suffers from depression, anxiety and body dysmorphia. The shop she had gone to for 7 yrs messed up her appointment. I had called completely coincidentally and found my daughter was supposed to be there at that moment. My daughter was there within 5/10 minutes and i was there shortly after. Knowing my daughter's history and having already consulted and known what she was there for and having been the only hairdresser to color my daughter's hair in 7 yrs you'd think no problem... WRONG... the stylist was rude, my daughter pleaded with her as she had a special event that night. So with the bitchiest of attitudes she took my daughter and changed her color from platinum blonde to dark chestnut brown. I was shocked... beyond unprofessional, beyond cruel, beyond evil. 6 months later, we've slowly been getting her hair lighter again at a cost so far well over 1,000.00 she's had to cut at least 7 inches of her hair and will rarely leave the house crying most days.

This was the best thing the stylist could do....a great effort....it brought confidence in her and maybe saved her life....a big thanks to the stylist to be so lovely and caring, such generosity is hard to find nowadays...

It’s both a cry for help and an amazing humanitarian. The stylist is amazing!

The stylist is indeed an angel. I suffer from depression and my haiir, which was half-way down my back ended up the same way. I wanted desperately to have it repaired but I ended up having to cut it off. Not only did the stylist fix her hair, she helped this young lady feel worth it and valuable.

Severe depression is about how one feels about him/her self. If someone feels worthless, their friends and family can try to "jolly them up"...it won't work while the person feels worthless. When I am depressed, I simply don't care enough about myself to bother with hygiene (self care), clean clothes, eating....only a person with some amount of self respect does those things. What the girl did for herself, was show up at that salon. What the hairdresser did, was not treat the girl like a regular customer. She took special interest in the girl, and showed her that she was WORTH extra time, and effort. Strangers sonetimes have a bigger impact than family, because they aren't obligated to put forth extra effort.

Why does social media always look for someone to blame?

Where were her parents? Sure they could have taken her for help or call someone who knew what was going on. Helping her to bathe and wash and comb her hair would have been a pleasure. The dandruff alone was horrid and suggested she had a bad problem. No girl of that age would let her hair go like that. The girl still needs to seek professional mental help. The hairstyle is simply a stop gap. WAKE UP PARENTS, SIBLINGS, GRANDPARENTS, AUNTS, UNCLES, FRIENDS...

that poor kid. im not sure how it was at home, but yhis child should NEVER have been so neglected. And yes. I know what depression is, how it feels. That one probably needed a good anti depressant and professional help. I hope she is getting both now and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Depression is something that comes and goes. I sincerely hope she has a good support system now. Big big hugs to this little lady.

lovely...

Not knowing the entire story, I think people need to see it from all sides before calling the parent(s) bad. They could have been trying for days or weeks to help her, by brushing her hair, washing her hair, taking her to a doctor, etc... but she's a 16 year old. You can't just pick them up and haul them to the shower or doctor. And maybe theyve tried but she would scream or cry or hit to be left alone. Depression is still a taboo subject, example being those that called her parents horrible instead of trying to understand what a parent with a depressed child goes through, especially in a time when we don't talk enough about how to handle a depressed child. Maybe this girl drove herself to the salon to say screw it, cut my hair, or maybe her mom offered to take her to the salon to do something nice and she accepted, but then alone with the hair stylist told her to just get rid of her hair.

need your parents' early help

U are amazing. U made her smile. U are an angel

The reality is that she has probably been bullied. She has probably been told she is worthless by her peers. Kids these days are so mean and from what I have seen, their parents just protect them from consequences and blame the victims for the issue. I'm more upset with parents who think their kids can do no wrong all the while they are inflicting so much pain and hate on others.

How wonderful for the hairstylist to help with what she could. And how horrible for people to blame the parents. We don't know what's going on with the family. We don't know how the girl even got to the salon. Maybe her parents took her hoping that it would lead to a fresh start. Maybe they're suffering from mental health problems as well. My mom, dad, little brother, youngest sister, and I all have clinical depression. When there are multiple people in a household with a problem like this it can get overwhelming.

omg the stylist is so kind and empathetic and inspirational, I want 2 b as nice and kind as her when I grow up

Thank you to the hair dresser. She deserves a warm hug.

I know first hand how debilitating depression can be. God bless this young lady and this angel (hairdresser)!

i teared!

When I went through one of my depression episodes I finally caved in and called my parents. I told them about it (they live overseas and I was alone during college, a completely different setup in our culture) and they were shocked. My father in particular was in disbelief. Depression is non existent where I live (Philippines). People treat it as something that "will be gone in a day or two". They will look at you like an outcast, a mental patient. Once you utter the word and asked for help you will feel shamed. That is why, I feel happy that not all people are like that (it is perhaps because we are mainly a religious Catholic country). It makes me have faith in humanity again. That someone out there will understand.

This stylist needs some kind of award! Most would have saved themselves tne trouble and just shaved her head thankyou to the lady who did this! You are an amazing person!

Well done! Small things like this do make EVERYONE'S life more worth living. This young lady will not overcome her depressions without serious, medical help though.

can we stop playin the blame game & realize there should b more people willing 2 help n a situation like this? god bless u 4 the simple act of beauty & kinsness u poured out on the world! i would love 2 have a friend like u & a few dozen more. don't get me wrong, i agree sum1 should've been paying attention. i just think its sad the way human nature tends 2 always thinks about the negative 1st & misses the gift of simple goodness right n front of them

Incredible!

I love this.

Feel good story And a sign of a child still in need of help. The child will still need support and love and patience and constant motivation to keep her willingness to smile.

Amen <3

I sometimes think that teens get into this point into the depression because parents classify everything as "a phase" . This kind of weight can get carried into adulthood and noone really helps them. The lady did a really nice thing, but that teen needs a lot more help right now.

The stylist is just such a wonderful soul <3 The parents in the other hand...