The Subliminal Sessions

Trichic Transference: When Hair Holds Emotion

The Subliminal Stylist aka Jessie Santiago

What happens when a TikTok about hairstylist licensing unexpectedly goes viral—and the comment section turns into a war zone? In this episode, Jessica Santiago unpacks what that experience revealed about how deeply people feel about hair, image, and identity.

A hairstylist for over twenty years turned clinical hypnotherapist, Jessica explores the emotional underworld of hair and why she coined the term trichic transference: the subconscious impulse to change (or not change) our hair as an expression of unprocessed emotion.

This episode is part confession, part cultural analysis, and part love letter to hairstylists—the healers behind the chair who’ve always known there’s more going on than meets the mirror.

If you’ve ever cut your bangs after a breakup, stared at yourself in the mirror and felt something shift, or wondered why a “simple haircut” can bring you to tears—this one’s for you.