[BenW]

I had an awful experience getting a haircut today. I told the hairdresser to be particularly gentle with me due to my condition but once she started getting into it she was anything but that! She continually slapped/patted my head with her hand and hit the side of my head with the razor making me head bump around . Also on multiple occasions she pulled my hair back aggressively which made my head whip forward a bit as she released.

The whole time I couldnt help but feel a profound sense of dread at all the damage I was taking and how much this was gonna set me back. Now I feel pretty awful, have nausea, brain fog, headache. Worst part is I had plans to go to the museum with friends tonight but its looking like I'll have to cancel once again. I hate this.

No real point to this post just needed to vent a bit. I wonder if this is something I would have not thought twice about back when my brain was healthy or if it would have bothered me even then?

[Mark in Idaho]

What damage? She did not cause any damage. Putting your head into a shampoo sink can stretch the neck a bit.

[Jomar]

Everybody should speak up right away, when ever things like that happen..
A few members posted about a related topic, you can search the forum with keyword "hairdresser" to find those.

[NorwegianGuy]

I had a similar experience myself last time I went to the barber shop. I constantly learn about new things that I haven't thought of to watch out for, so I didn't think twice about getting my hair cut.

I got the same cut as I usually do which usually takes around 20 minutes. She cut me like she was in a hurry and was done in record time, about 10 minutes. Everything she did was in a careless hastily fashion. My head got pushed all over the place. I am sure I would have reacted negatively even if my brain was healthy.

It's about time I get my hair cut again, but I'm reluctant. I'm definitely not going to the same place, and I'm going to ask her to be gentle. I hope she actually listens though, unlike your hairdresser.

[Vania]

Hello Ben,

I really sympathize with your situation. I also had some dreadful experiences with hairdressers, although I also asked them to be gentle. But like Mark wrote you do not have to worry about brain damage. This is probably just a resurgence of symptoms as all of us experience regularly.

You can think of it in the following way: your hairdresser probably treated you the same way she treats her other clients (or even better, because you asked). So, if her movements were strong enough to damage your brain, there would probably be dozens of her clients out there who would have suffered a brain injury because of her. If we multiply this number by the number of hairdressers who are as careless as she is, we reached the conclusion that millions of people would suffer from a concussion inflicted by their hairdresser every year. This is very unlikely, don't you think?

I know that this is very very hard not to worry about these things (I am also very anxious when I have a relapse, so I really sympathize with your situation). But if you want another reason to relax, even though this is only anecdotal evidence: every time I felt awful after going to the hairdresser, I was convinced that I had received another injury, but the resurgence of my symptoms disappeared in a few days. To be honest, I don't think that my symptoms were entirely induced by anxiety, I think there were some physical causes. But it does not mean that these symptoms are due to a new injury.

I really hope and think that you will have the same evolution in the next days.

Very best wishes.

[Jomar]

Tell them you have a neck injury, maybe that will make them be more cautious..
It might be simpler for them to understand that kind of injury.
Another option is go for a basic easy care cut that you or a friend can do at home..
Plenty of videos on you tube hair cutting..

Scissors, comb or clippers do not cost that much..

[Hom3mad3]

Ben, sorry to hear about your rough encounter. I might suggest a hairdresser that does a lot of senior citizens. Perhaps they might be slightly more experienced with a gentle touch. Just a thought good luck!

[BenW]

Thank you all for the responses I think it was just a minor setback + anxiety fortunately but I really appreciate all the helpful advice and reassurance