Beauty Salon Stroke Syndrome: What You Need To Know
Beauty Salon Stroke Syndrome: Beauty salon stroke syndrome occurs when damage, rupture, or a blood clot forms in one of the four main arteries leading to the brain while tilting the head back to wash hair.
According to Health, a woman from California claimed that after having her hair washed at a beauty salon, she suffered a stroke. Elizabeth Smith, 48, said that eight days after visiting the local salon and having her hair washed for 10 minutes, she felt weakness in her left arm and leg. A week later, she suffered a stroke and thought she wouldn’t survive.
Beauty Salon Stroke Syndrome, After the stroke, Elizabeth’s ability to balance and her vision were affected. Additionally, the blood clot in her brain, if it moves, could potentially lead to her death. Smith filed a complaint against the salon, stating that they did not properly support her neck while washing her hair, which led to her stroke.
Beauty Salon Stroke Syndrome
Dr. Peter Gloviczki, a vascular surgeon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says: “Beauty salon stroke syndrome occurs when damage, rupture, or a blood clot forms in one of the four main arteries leading to the brain.” According to him, this type of stroke usually affects younger individuals.
This issue arises due to excessive neck stretching (hyperextension), as when the hairdresser tilts your head in the washing basin, you remain in this position for a prolonged period. Gloviczki explains, “When the neck is overstretched, pressure is applied to the artery due to the change in position or the slippage of bones against each other.” This can lead to a rupture of the blood vessel and blood clot formation. The clot then moves towards the brain, causing a stroke.
Health also cites Dr. Aneesh Singhal, an associate professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, who notes that similar events can occur during dental treatments, tennis, certain neck therapies, or even yoga. However, Gloviczki adds that while this issue can affect anyone, it is not common. Singhal advises: “Avoid activities that keep the neck in an improper position for long periods, more than 10 or 15 minutes; although, damage can occur in even less time.”
Beauty Salon Stroke Syndrome, Experts recommend ensuring that your head is stable while having your hair washed at a beauty salon and asking the hairdresser to place a towel under your head. They explain that the early signs of beauty salon stroke syndrome are slightly different from typical stroke symptoms.
These initial symptoms may include dizziness and imbalance in the arms, but they can also manifest as migraine headaches, vision loss or blurriness, neck swelling, and taste changes. After these initial symptoms, secondary symptoms align with those of a regular stroke, such as numbness, especially on one side of the body, loss of balance, slurred speech, weakness, and fainting, particularly in women, and sudden behavioral changes.
Beauty Salon Stroke Syndrome, Experts say that while this risk exists, there’s no need to panic—just be mindful and take precautions.
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