Physical pain and worsened symptoms after getting a haircut
 

I went today to the hairdresser to get a haircut (8 hours ago), and I feel terrible right now. I don't really know why. In addition to the symptoms, I'm experiencing physical pain, which is disproportionate to what happened.

When I got there, the hairdresser asked me to lean backwards to the shampoo sink, so I did. While doing that, he lifted it up and it hit my neck while I was leaning my head backwards. I freaked out a bit but immediately took deep breathes and calmed myself down. He shampooed my head quite aggressively (it felt too quick and that he moved my head too much), but I didn't say anything because I didn't want to sound obsessive.

Later, he cut my hair with the trimmer and it felt like he was placing it too strong against my head, but again I didn't say a thing and calmed myself down.

The problem is that I now feel absolutely terrible. I feel similar to how I felt in the early days after my concussion. I'm confused, I make too many typos, I have a very bad brain fog and my neck and head hurt for 8 hours already (my neck pain is very slowly fading, but it is still very apparent after 8 hours).

I avoided running into anxiety while I was getting the haircut, but I feel really bad right now. I'm starting to think that between the shampoo sink hitting my neck, the hairdresser shampooing my head slightly aggressively in the shampoo sink (my head moved around a lot there) and him using too much force with the trimmer, something happened that made me feel so bad.

My neck was very uncomfortable in that sink but I calmed myself as I learnt to do in CBT in order not to spark anxiety. I didn't complain to him because I didn't want to sound obsessive.


So now, after 8 hours of continually feeling bad, I want to ask - could it be that the shampoo sink hitting my neck and the head washing by the hairdresser made all my symptoms returned? Could it have stressed my brain or caused a minor impact that made the symptoms return? Can you get a sub-concussive impact from a shampoo sink hitting your neck with too much velocity? I'm asking because I'm overwhelmed of how bad I feel, even though I applied the relaxation techniques of the CBT treatment I've been to.

Thanks,
-ProAgonist

I feel your pain. With my damaged neck, tipping my head back into a salon sink would trigger a cascade of symptoms, too.

I wash my own hair, in the shower, immediately before my appointment. Going out with wet hair, especially in January, isn't much fun, but it beats headache, neck pain and dizziness.

It sounds like most of your symptoms have to do with anxiety. There may have been some neck strain to start everything and then your anxiety made the minor issue of a neck strain into a more serious anxiety response.

The only thing I think you can do now is ice your neck and back of your head. Do it on and off for a few cycles (15 on, 30 off). Try to find something to occupy your mind so you do not get stuck fretting about this episode and relax. Some ibuprofen as a pain reliever may help. .

For the future, Speak up. You have every right to speak up and the hair dresser has a responsibility to respond accordingly.

My hairdresser knows I am sensitive. She lets me put my head back over the shampoo bowl rather than she just tipping the seat back flopping my head into the bowl. She knows to not be overly aggressive as she shampoos my hair. My response might be, "You are scrubbing too hard."

There is no need for aggressive shampoo scrubbing. Nor is there a need for aggressive toweling to partially dry your hair.

If you want to impress upon your hairdresser the need to be gentle, tell him about beauty parlor strokes. First off, you did not suffer a beauty parlor stroke. But, you can urge gentleness with this idea.

A beauty parlor stroke is from the hyper extension of the neck over the shampoo bowl with the cervical vertebra resting against the rim of the bowl. This can stretch or strain the vertebral arteries causing plaques to break free from the wall of the arteries and flow to the brain resulting in a stroke. It may be just a TIA or it can be more serious with a serious blockage. Both need immediate Emergency Room or A&E attention.

Again, your symptoms are not indicating a stroke. I tell you about beauty parlor strokes just so you can impress upon your hairdresser about the need to be gentle.

Regarding sub-concussive impacts. I doubt you received a sub-concussive impact. Even if you did, it was just one. It takes hundreds suffered consistently over a few months to cause a problem.

And next time, speak up. It is not obsessive to speak up. Taking care of your neck and head is important.

You can say, " I need you to be gentle. Last time, you were so aggressive that I was left with a stiff and sore neck that lasted for two days." Then, as the hair cut progresses, explain the beauty parlor stroke in an informative but not accusative way. Ask "Have you ever heard of a beauty parlor stroke ?" to start the conversation.

Now, please go try to relax.

My best to you.

I would speak up right away before they even take you to the wash sink.

They can pad the edge for you, and be much gentler if you request it.
You can even let them know that you do have a neck strain/injury so they will be even more careful...

I would try Ice as Mark suggests and maybe some Aleve or ibuprofen type if you aren't on other meds that may conflict.
Or alternate heat/ice if that helps.
Might have even been the muscle tension if you began to tense up, then we breath shallowly, so some calming deep breaths on and off should help as well as general relaxation techniques.

Geeze, that's something. :eek: I'd speak to the OWNER of the beauty parlor. Mention the "Beauty Parlour Stroke" and stress to him/her the importance of being gentle around the neck and head. :mad: After all it's YOUR brain we're talking about here!! Hairdressers are NOT doctors and have to be educated. :hug:

"Beauty Parlour Stroke" I learn something new, every time I come here.

Pro,

My head was uncomfortable for awhile getting haircuts when the clippers were against my scalp. Since my daughter cuts my hair I just sucked it up....she has taken very good care of me since getting hurt and I didn't want to hurt her feelings.

I will run something by you that I sort of discovered on my own through this adventure.

Anxiety tells us we are in danger, at risk to some sort of harm. Until we get it straight that we are NOT in any danger all we are doing is staying in some form of control in public and collapsing at home where we are safe to collapse so to speak.

I would go to work this spring and do ok, the closer it got to quitting time I would get more anxious and the ride home would grow in anxiety to when I got home I was a mess. I could not figure out what was going on, why was I so freaked out about going home?

I began to realize that I held it together all day and home was where I could let my hair down and fall apart cuz it was my safe zone. The fact I missed was nothing was happening to me, I had been safe all along so I had nothing to fall apart over at home, I had never been in any danger. I began to tell myself that I was safe at work therefore I had no need to race home to avoid danger and if I could hold myself together at work I could do the same at home. I was falling apart at home from fear of an unknown and exhaustion.

The point of this is possibly you were apprehensive about your haircut and could hold yourself together at the shop but at home it was safe to experience all the symptoms you felt would endanger you from a haircut.

I am not sure if that makes any sense or even applies to your situation. Forgive me if I did not articulate my theory clearly.

Any one have any thoughts on this, I'm not a rocket scientist but this started to make sense to me this summer?

Bud

I had a similar experience last year. My previous hair dresser/personal friend left the state so I had to go to a new one.

With my previous hairdresser it was easy to explain my issues and she worked around by not washing my hair in the sink and being light with the clippers, I felt mostly fine after getting haircuts from her, although I did wait in between for much longer that I usually would. I think I only got 3 haircuts in the first year after my concussion.

I figured that I should be able to tolerate the haircuts just fine when I first went to the new lady, so I didn't tell her much except that I didn't want to wash my hair in the sink.
She used the clippers way more than I was used to but at the time I didn't think too much of it, except it felt like the buzzing from the clippers was very unpleasant against my skull.

I didn't feel anxious in the evening after the haircut, but started feeling much worse the next day, with many symptoms intensifying and some coming back that I haven't felt in a while.

It took me about a month to get back to the baseline, although my doctor obviously said that it's all anxiety. I really don't think it was anxiety, there's either something in the neck or ears maybe.

One of the nurses at the ENT's office who did my fistula surgery said that she's seen similar occurrences in people with BPPV, where the "crystals" get shaken up by the vibration, but BPPV was ruled out for me.

At any rate, now I ask the hair dresser to mostly use scissors for my haircuts, and only use the clippers to trim the hair.

Hello, I have been dealing with post concussion and time for a year and experience all of the symptoms you wrote below. I have been going to a chiropractor who does occiput adjustments, and this has been the most helpful for me. However, I am looking into the Atlas specialist and wanted to know if you could tell me anymore about your experience with this doctor and any advice for me moving forward. Thank you