I HAVE this recurring nightmare – actually I have a lot of them – but one in particular rears its head often (no pun intended) and it features my hair being cut off against my will.

There are variations of this dream. Sometimes it’s a disaster at the hairdresser’s, they have misunderstood my request for a little trim and left me with a buzz cut.

Other times it is more sinister and I am having my hair shorn against my will.

I have even started projecting this scenario onto others. Recently a colleague reported dreaming that she was shearing my hair off with a pair of trimmers.

Hair is such a sacred thing for all women. We hide behind it, we use it to make ourselves more beautiful, more feminine and to show our personality.

And, when our relationships fall apart, we hack it off or dye it pink.

Which is why the thought of losing our hair completely can literally keep us awake all night.

It wouldn’t take a session with a shrink to work out that most of my hair dreams are about loss of power or control (control issues, me?).

Quite what Freud and his pals would make of singer Jessie J’s decision to shave her head before millions of people on live television though, one can only imagine.

But that is exactly what she will do tomorrow as part of this year’s Comic Relief.

The 24-year-old will immediately find herself inducted into a small but select sisterhood of famous females who have picked up the razor, although most of them did it for film roles: Natalie Portman (V for Vendetta), Demi Moore (GI Jane), Sigourney Weaver (Alien 3).

Britney Spears shaved her head too but that is a very different column.

For Price Tag singer Jessie it’s all about the money, money, money...

She says: “Shaving my head for charity is something I've promised to do for a long time and Comic Relief has given me the opportunity to try and raise as much money as possible for good causes by doing it.

“I won't deny that I'm nervous but I am also honoured to be part of this year's campaign.”

A lesser commentator might suggest that the publicity Jessie will get for the stunt will hardly harm her career but given that Jessie is one of the hottest female artists around that would be churlish.

Just last month actress/goddess Charlize Theron, who sports a number one in the forthcoming Mad Max sequel, was gushing about her own close shave. She said: “It's the most freeing thing, I highly recommend it. I think every woman should do it.”

I certainly get the whole “freeing” side of it. Once it’s gone it’s gone and there’s no more stressing about whether you have left the straighteners plugged in.

But I don’t think I could ever have the courage to sit in the barber’s chair and let them loose with the clippers.

I expect that come Friday Jessie will rock her bald head the same way she does those signature catsuits.

And if she does suffer an attack of shaver’s remorse, at least she can take solace in knowing there will be no more bad hair days for a while.