I have OCD symptoms and finding hair on things drives me crazy. Anyone else deal with this?
I have some fear of contamination. hair is the worst thing in my life. My fear of contamination, in general, usually doesn’t bother me too much in most settings because I have my own office at work, and I just use disinfectant wipes to clean everything once a week, usually on Monday. I also do sports (mostly skiing, biking, kauaking, canoeing), but I use my own gears and bikes/skis/boats, so it’s not really an issue. The gym can be a bit tough, but not a big deal since I wipe the equipment before using it. And I washed my hands with soap before leaving the gym. Home is the safe place for sure.
But something that really bothers me is ordering products online.
Yesterday, I received a pair of winter hijking boots I ordered from a sports shop. When I opened the box, the boots were a little dirty, just a small stain, probably from someone trying them on. What distressed me most was that there was a grey hair on the shoe. I don’t know where it came from, but I immediately washed my hands twice with soap and wiped the shoe with a disinfectant wipe. That was yesterday, but it’s still bothering me today. The boots were final sale, so I can’t return them. Similar things have happened before, and sometimes I end up wasting money because of it. I think hair is especially something I really can’t accept. I remember ordering a hoodie once, and when I received it, there were two golden hairs on it, and I just threw it in the garbage.
I’ve seen a therapist before, which is why things have improved in other settings (work, home, gym, sports), but shipping boxes are something I still struggle with, particuarly if someone's hair in the box. Am I the only one who gets bothered by finding hair on products I order? I try to tell myself it’s just hair, but I can’t!
Posted Dec 1, 2025, 3:04 AM UTC