One topic I often see in chronic pain discussions is the frustration many of us have with keeping our hair clean. Many of us are fortunate to be able to go a couple of weeks without washing our hair, however if you are like me, your scalp may get itchy and sore, or you tend to get a buildup of oils, making your hair look dirty.
Whether it is not having the energy to wash it at all, or getting shoulder or arm pain while washing and drying, cleaning our hair can be exhausting! Here are several ideas to make clean hair a little easier.
Hit the Salon
The absolute easiest way to wash your hair is to have someone else do it! Many people have a standing appointment at a salon to have their hair washed and styled. If a regular salon is difficult because of their bowl height or other reasons, consider calling a salon in an elder care facility. They often have more adaptive ways of working with customers who are less agile and need more care.
Adaptive Shower Equipment
Use a shower chair and hand held shower sprayer in your own bathroom. This way you do not have to stand for a length of time and lose less energy. Along with the sprayer, look into using an extended hair washer such as the Etac Beauty Hair Washer. It has finger-like nodules on a long handle to assist in reaching when you have limited mobility in your arms and shoulders. Etac also has a brush and comb in the same style.
Hair Drying Aids
Since drying your hair can take a long time for some, try using a wall mounted hook for your hair dryer, or a tabletop stand, such as the Hands Free Stand from Rolyn Prest. Then you are able to sit in your chair and dry for longer periods.
Alternatives to Showering
For the periods of time when you cannot manage to wash your hair completely, look into using dry shampoo or no-rinse shampoo. Dry shampoo is a starchy powder, which you apply to the roots of your hair then comb out. It absorbs and removes oil, letting you go longer between washes. Some may leave a bit of powder behind, so those of us with dark hair might want to try a couple kinds to determine which works best. No rinse shampoos are often used in hospitals and nursing homes. They are usually foams that you apply to your hair and towel out. You can find Dry shampoo and No-Rinse shampoo at most department stores in the shampoo aisle.
On the days you don’t wash, hats, pony tails and buns are great when you need to go out!
I hope you have the best day possible!
Share this:
1 comment
“On the days you don’t wash, hats, pony tails and buns are great when you need to go out!”
To me, this part sounds a bit like your hair is only clean on days you wash it. But even if you have hair that greases fast, washing it only twice a week is much better. You can even ‘train’ your hair to not get greasy so quickly, the more you wash it, the greasier it gets.