When is a haircut medically necessary?

Abstract

We present the case of a psychotic female, admitted to our inpatient psychiatric facility, who had not cut her hair for over 20 years based on her religious beliefs. In this report, we discuss her case, evaluate whether or not it was medically necessary to cut her hair, and review several widely accepted religious practices regarding the cutting of hair. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.