Beware of hair salon stroke when head is bent back while being washed
Main Category: StrokeArticle Date: 24 Apr 2004 - 0:00 PDT
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opinions'Beware of hair salon stroke when head is bent back while being washed'
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A grieving widower in the UK is warning women to beware of hair salon stroke, caused by their heads being bent back while being washed. Malcolm Crabb is convinced his wife died of stroke because her head was bent back at the beauty salon while they were washing her hair. His wife Pamela was 51.
He said "I think there should be warnings in hairdressers about it."
Mrs. Crabb had a stroke in September 2000. The stroke hit soon after her appointment. Her speech became slurred and her hands claw-like. She was taken to hospital where tests revealed she had had a stroke. Mrs. Crabb died last week after having a second stroke.
According to the Stroke Association (UK), no real research has been carried out to show a link between beauty salons (hair washing) and strokes. However, the association says there are many cases reported in medical journals. They would like to see research done into this.
According to experts, when you push a person's head back into a sink his/her neck over-extends. According to neurologists Dr. David Bateman, Cumberland, UK, the neck can be stretched so that it kinks for a long time - as in hair-washing at a salon - the arteries get stretched and can tear if you are unlucky. As the bleeding between layers of tissue continues you can get clots building up, this eventually leads to a stroke.
Mr. Crabb said, when talking about his wife's first stoke "When she got up she wasn't speaking like she normally would. She felt awful and I didn't know what the matter was. Her speech then became slurred and her hands became like claws."
When he took her to hospital he said they asked whether she had had her hair done.
Mr. Crabb said "After that it all fell into place and we connected the stroke with the way she had her hair washed."
After her first stroke she became increasingly intolerant to cold weather. The couple eventually moved permanently to southern Spain.
An article 8 years ago in the Lancet writes about a woman who had her hair washed for five minutes at a salon and developed a stroke as a result of it. The doctors said that salons should place a cushion so as not to over-extend the neck.
Visit our stroke section for the latest news on this subject.
MLA
26 May. 2012. <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/7628.php>
APA
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/7628.php.
Please note: If no author information is provided, the source is cited instead.
Visitor Opinions (latest shown first)
Bashing head against wash basin
posted by Mrs M on 30 Jan 2012 at 8:36 amHairdressers do need to be more careful.I had my hair washed and for a couple of seconds my head really hurt against the wash basin.the next day I seemed to be bruised in the back of my head area.Two days later it still really hurts!!
I too had a mini stroke, tia after salon visit
posted by Jody Schwartz on 16 Jan 2012 at 5:16 pmI was at the salon having my hair colored and cut. I had to lean back in the bowl when the operator put the dye on and a second time when she put a glaze on it. I walked home which is about a 5 minutes walk. I sat down on a bench in my lobby and was talking to my doorman. As I was sitting on the bench I took off my gloves and could not feel my left hand or arm. They were completely numb. I tried to talk and knew something was wrong because nothing would come out. then finally I was able to "slur" some goggly gob out that my doorman didn't understand. He said my left side of my mouth slanted down. I ended up taking a cab to the emergency room and found out that I had a tia or mini stroke. My doorman said he couldn't understand anything I was saying. My jaws wouldn't work. I took at least 7 tests and it was concluded I had had a tia due to the positioning of my neck in the bowl when washing my hair.
My Mom's stroke
posted by Katherine on 22 Jul 2011 at 4:05 pmA few days before Christmas of 2008 my Mom had her hair washed and styled and had a stroke several hours later. She had severe arthritis in her neck.
Of course I cannot prove cause and effect, but I know she was not at risk for a stroke. After reading more and more about it, I think there is a good chance this is in fact what happened. Of course, I didn't even mention it to the doctor as I knew he would completely dismiss the idea.
Stroke in a chair
posted by blades on 25 May 2011 at 5:49 pmMy grandma was in the polar and while she was leaning back before chemicals applied, the stylist noticed she changed. Yes, she had a stroke and was escorted out via ems. Total loss of control on left side. At age 88 it will be hard for her to pull through. This just happened yesterday morning.
stroke and the salon chair
posted by Theresa Gaudino on 26 Dec 2010 at 7:59 pmI do not think toxic chemicals had anything to do with the stroke I just had a stroke in oct 2010 I am 55 and in good health I was told my stroke was a VAD stoke due to the beauty salon chair I was one of the lucky ones I am not well as yet on blood thinners and trying to get better but I am here to tell you beware of the salon chairs it is not worth it I know wash my hair at home then go to the salon.
Beauty Parlor Stroke Syndrome
posted by Judie on 14 Apr 2008 at 11:27 amI do not agree with the fumes being the problem with helping to cause the stroke. I have also had a stroke from having my hair done and it is the position of the head, the stretching and over extension of the neck and the hard surface of the shampoo bowl that is the cause. The same thing can happen with an extended dentist visit, or a bad chiropractic adjustment.
This is called a mechanical stoke verses a medically caused one. I am really disappointed that the medical community has not seen fit to do more research and more health warnings about it. I have read a few articles about it, but for the most part the public is not aware of this real threat. It can be avoided if they are required to place pads in the neck rest of the shampoo bowl or at least if people know they can request towels be used to pad the neck.
From what I have read, it is more of a risk for people who are at risk for a stoke, the aged and such. But it has happened to women in their 30's in good health. Following mine they did extensive tests and found no other reason for the stroke.
Toxic Beauty Salons
posted by Gail D on 8 Mar 2005 at 8:24 pmI think Mr Crabb has a valid complaint; however I believe the toxic chemicals used in the salon had something to do with his wife's death.
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