washing hair/showering
 

Hi everyone,

I have a question regarding washing ones hair. Since my injury taking a shower and attempting to wash my own hair is a painful and long process. My husband will get in the shower with me 2 times a week and give my hair a good washing...but even that can be very painful. I have thought about getting my hair washed at a hair dressers but there is now way I could put my head back and move my neck/shoulder like that. Nor can I lean over the tub or sink with out horrible pain. Also there are the issues of the water temp. causing pain/sensations through out my neck/shoulder/arm/hand.

My question is... have any of you tried dry shampoo? and if you have can you recommend some brands for me and maybe where online you can purchase it? (please share negative experiences as well)

I am thinking if I can at least use something daily to keep my hair clean and then have my hubby give it a good washing once a week it will help me feel like a human being again...as I am horrified some days how my up keep on myself is lacking so much.

Thanks in advance for the responses and suggestions/links!
Take care,
Karen

i do not know of any dry products, but if you can't wash it regularly, you can use baby powder to take away itching and greasiness. good luck!!

I use dry shampoo when I dont feel up to getting in the shower. A friend of mine just uses regular baby powder.....cheap way to go but I dont really like it. There are 2 brands that I have tried that are spray on in aerosol cans...only ones I think there are.....Tresemme has one but I dont think it works as well.....other one is called Ppppsssstttt!! It's basically baby powder in a spray can. They work ok to soak up some grease in your hair & make if smell a little better. Hope this helps!!!

Perhaps using a warm water therapeutic pool at your local YMCA or fitness center to dunk your whole body in would help you feel a bit better while cleaning you a little at the same time? I know clorine in your hair is not the same as shampoo and conditioner! But I'm wondering if a therapy pool might help you out? The water has to be in the mid-90's, don't try the regular pool. it will heat you all the way through and may calm some of your pain down. I found a pool at our City's recreational center and it was a godsend for weeks when I was flaring really badly.

when my RSD spread into my neck I needed to be REALLY careful with how I bent it or I would wind up with a migraine at 3 am. I sleep with a foam memory pillow that has a ridge to keep my neck straight. When I go to the dentist or periodontist I use a special pillow so my neck is not bent back. when I go to the hairdresser's we roll up some towels so my neck stays as straight as possible -those sinks are brutal on the cervical spine!! and when my PM doc did my blocks he started to leave my straight because I would get such horrible migraines afterwards. he claimed I had a nice skinny neck that he could still work with even if it wasn't tilted backwards...

I also use a heating pad, Lidocaine patches, Flector when I can't use Lidocaine, Voltaren gel on my scalp when my head hurts a lot, and I take Topamax (200 mg) and Fiorcet for head pain. when the migraines are really bad I use Frova, which is a triptan.

I hope this helps you, I learned some of this from this board, some from my old PT, and some from personal experience....xoxox. Sandy

Hi all,

Thanks for your responses. I should make it clear that I am able to get in the bath and shower.... just having problems properly washing my hair. The right side to be exact. After I get out it never seems as clean as it should be. Though the last few days with this flare up from physio I haven't even been able to stand the shower beating down on my shoulder.

I have tried baby powder as a friend suggested it. Sadly though because its one side of my head one side looks whiter then the other! I am going to look into the dry shampoo's... then at least maybe it will feel a bit cleaner and look a bit healthier like the left side.

Unfortunately, my YMCA only has a heated pool for little ones. I suppose I could go sit in there but then I am at risk at being bumped by kids.

Tonight my hubby is going to attempt to do my hair... wish me luck. I still can hardly wear my shirt as it causes pain in my shoulder... but I am hoping I can stand there long enough for him to give it a good scrubbing!

Take care,
Karen

Hi Karen, I used a dry shampoo during the time periods after my SCS trial and implant. It was an expensive one from my hair dresser and I really did not like it. My hair still felt dirty, and the dry shampoo seemed to leave a nasty coating on it. I finally used the body spray from bath and body to keep my hair fresh, and it seemed to help it stay cleaner. It is just a light mist when you spray it. I do have very thick, heavy, corse hair so that may have made a difference in how the shampoo worked. I finally got in my bath tub doggy style (yes it WAS UGLY) and was able to wash my hair without bending my neck. Hope your flare settles down soon, Lisa

I have a funny story about the product called Ppppsssttt!!. I was born with cerebral palsy and had many surgeries...my mother thinks I have had RSD for many years because of these... anyway, when I was eight, after one of my surgeries, my mom bought the product and it worked really well on my hair, but it would cause build up. When it was time to wash it out I would say "Mom, it's time to get this PISST out of my hair!!" My sister who were teenagers would roll on the floor laughing and make me say it over and over until my Mom made them stop. I was mortified one day, when my sister tricked me into saying in front of her gorgeous boyfriend that I had a crush on. I guess that's the price you pay for being the baby of the family..LOL

I don't know if this would help you. I have RSD in my neck, shoulders upper back, left arm, hands, and feet. I don't have a lot of range of motion. Can't really get my arms up to wash hair in shower. Shower also hurts me.

A friend installed a "shower massage" head on an extra long hose to my shower. He even made this PVC pipe "drop" so that the shower head connects a couple feet lower than normal, so I don't have to struggle to hang it up or get it down. I sit on the edge of the bathtub, lean over, and can use my better hand to hold the shower massage thing and do my hair that way. I keep my hair fairly short, which also makes it easier.

I also dilute my shampoo to make it easier to rinse out.

I sit on the edge of my tub to wash the lower part of my body also, and use the shower massage thing on the gentle flow to rinse. Then I stand and soap up the upper part, and use the hand held shower massage to rinse. The spray does not hurt as much if it is close to the skin.

I did try three shower massage things out from the "big blue box store" till I found one with a super gentle spray.

An old trick for getting soap out of hair is a couple tablespoons of vinegar in a quart of water as a rinse after shampoo. Then rinse again. I have used this a lot with one of my dogs who has long, thick hair.

I don't have experience with dry shampoo.... sorry!

No experience with the dry shampoos, but showering is hard for me. It's hard to get into the tub/shower unit. I miss my long, hot soaks in the tub. My husband has to help me with showering. It sucks. I miss showering by myself some days. I miss a lot of "alone time".

I had problems at one time with showers. It is still not my favorite but it has gotten better.
A thought I have if your husband can help. Is you sit in the bath he can lather your hair and then take a cups of water to wash it out. When my back was in pain I did that to myself.
As for a pool therapy you may want to look in your area cause some will have pool therapy or times for adults only. I could not handle the waves from a child playing.