Ouch....

[Shadow Walker]

Long story short, I was out playing paintball today and I got shot at extremely close range (about a foot) on the top of my head. Needless to say it rang my bell pretty good and gave me an instant headache, and when I got back to the staging area and cleaned the paint out of my hair, I noticed my scalp was bleeding.

When I got some and took the hair tie out, I was in shock to see that I had almost a handfull of hair in my hand . I looked in the mirror and noticed that I now have a bald spot where I was shot, and it literally ripped the hair right out of my head.

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4626/0830081810av9.jpg

I'm a little down right now. I've been playing paintball for almost a decade, but have only played twice since growing my hair long. Now I have to deal with this stupid bald spot until the hair grows back, and there's really now way to cover it up.... :(

[Juneii]

ouchies, that must really hurt X__X
one of the reasons why I avoid playing paintball with my friends.

you can always change the part of your hair - maybe slightly off center - to cover the bald spot?

[VikingJarl]

Dude, that sucks! I caught my hair in an electric drill once and ripped out a two inch square clump of hair and got a bald spot too. I had to comb my hair differently for a while until it grew back.

Hope it doesn't take too long for you..

[Checkers]

Oh no, and on top of your head. I'm sorry.

[queenjord]

that sucks!!! dang that must have hurt well it shouldnt take that long for it to grow out enough to blend in.. id be pissed too...

[Kirin]

Believe it or not, there's a way to cover it up. Find a brown eyeshadow cheap in a drugstore in a brown that matches your haircolor, and use the applicator and fill in the spot.

This trick works great for a temporary fill in, colors the scalp skin, but transluscently and no one will be the wiser. This trick works great too for accidentally screwed up eyebrows as well.

If your headache gets worse, go see a doctor! Thats a heck of a braining you took if it actually ripped hair out by the root. That hair will grow back, i know it is depressing, but it will and will fill in the "spot" rather quickly, you'll see.

[Bene]

no helmet???

[Shadow Walker]

Juneii, I might give that a try. I've always liked a perfectly centered part, so it will take getting used to.

VikingJarl, ouch man! I'd take getting shot in the head over that any day....

Bene, almost every paintball mask covers just your face, forehead, ears, and about half of your throat. There's only one kind of mask that covers your whole head, but I find it terribly uncomfortable and hard to play in.

[Lixie]

Your poor head! :grouphug: It doesn't look like it will be too noticable to other people though, especially if you're tall.

Might wearing bandanas for a while help disguise it? Changing your part slightly is also a good idea.

[dorothea-brooke]

I agree with the changing-part idea. You wouldn't have to move it much, just an inch or so to the side; it will still seem pretty much centered.

And sorry about your accident! :flower: This is the stuff hair nightmares are made of.... :(

[coppercurls]

You have been given some good advice & I don't have any to add. I just wanted to offer some sympathy. :)

[Lamb]

Goodness... That must have hurt! I agree with the others, try changing your part, or heck, why not give the brown eyeshadow (or the eyebrow-pencils, the dark ones women use to fill in their eyebrows) a try? (re: Kirin's post)

[Juneii]

I know what you mean by having it perfectly centered, it's not that big of a bald spot. I had a hard time finding it the first time I saw the picture, moving it a teeny bit to the side won't make that big of a difference.
VikingJarl's story reminded me of the time my friend sat on my head (I'm not entirely sure how that even happened) and got my hair caught on the back pocket button of her jeans. ripped a huge chunk of my hair out T___T it wasn't noticeable because it was near the nape of my neck.

[jojo]

Believe it or not, there's a way to cover it up. Find a brown eyeshadow cheap in a drugstore in a brown that matches your haircolor, and use the applicator and fill in the spot.

This trick works great for a temporary fill in, colors the scalp skin, but transluscently and no one will be the wiser. This trick works great too for accidentally screwed up eyebrows as well.

If your headache gets worse, go see a doctor! Thats a heck of a braining you took if it actually ripped hair out by the root. That hair will grow back, i know it is depressing, but it will and will fill in the "spot" rather quickly, you'll see.

you took the words out of my mouth, exactly what I was thinking.

Shadow I am sorry this has happened, but please contact Girlcat. She had chemo a while back and got a bald patch in the back of her head, she has been on monistat and the growth has come back in the bald patch, it looks amazing. I am certain she will share her experience with you, also she has some progress pictures on the monistat thread.

Maybe this is an option for you, just rub a little on the part which the hair has come out.

Don't start this if theres any cuts in this area and please seek medical advise if these headaches contintue, this is the main thing is your health, headaches should not be ignored. (I walked around with concushion once after banging my head and its an awful thing to have).

This patch will grow back quickly, also dont be supprised if your textured is slightly different at first, when it grows back in, the follicles will have gone through a trauma and may temperalley change but it should go back to your normal texture eventually.

Take care and sorry for the spelling my spell check is being an idiot!
Jojo xx

[renarok]

Sorry about your injury. I'm sorry you lost some hair, but I'd be more concerned about a concussion.

Please be careful of headache, blurry vision, dizziness. Don't take any pain meds that would mask these symptoms. Try to stick to Tylenol for a couple of days.

I hope you're all better soon.

[RoseRedDead]

Sorry about this, ShadowWalker... But it really isn't a *huge* spot, so please don't feel too bad. The eyeshadow trick should work. Plus, if you're tall, not many people are going to see it in everyday life.

[RavennaNight]

That must have been massively painful! My sympathies and I hope your head stops hurting! Everyones got great advice. I also had trouble finding the bald spot at first, and tweaking the part sounds like a good plan. Your hair grows fast, so thats totally in your favor as well! Feel better :)

[Gilly]

Ouch, that had to hurt like hell!!!

It will soon grow back I bet within a week or so it will have started to come through.

No other advice, just lots of sympathy!! :flowers::grouphug:

[Tressie]

Sorry you got hurt and only us longhairs understand how you really feel about the hair loss, but it really doesn't look as badly to others as it does to you, because you are sensitive to the spot. It will get better! If you don't want to change your part, and feel self-conscious about it, I second the idea of one of those biker/bandana thingys. They really look "HOT" IMHO! (o:

[sahiba]

I too want to offer my sympathies and hope you get over it soon :flower:

[Indigo Girl]

Oooh Shadow, that's awful! Getting hit with a paintball hurts enough already; close range and on the scalp to boot?? Yikes.

I think Kirin has a great idea; it may not bring back the hair but at least cosmetically it helps.

Hope you heal soon. :grouphug:

[MermaidGirl]

Ouch! That sucks! If I were you, I'd go with modifying my part. In the picture you posted, your part looked slightly off center and over to the side where the thinned spot is, so if you part a little bit to the right (your left, I think), you should be able to cover it pretty well. And yes, try the Monistat - some folks on that thread are having great results, and in fact, there is a member there that had a thinned spot in front not unlike yours (though hers was from hairfall, not paintball trauma) and the regrowth was quite impressive.

Would at least wearing a backwards baseball cap help next time you play paintball?

Also, to reiterate what others have said, you need to watch the headaches. You could have a concussion, so be careful.

[DavidN]

I am genuinely sorry to hear this happened to you, Shadow Walker. Your hair should grow back quickly to cover the damage. In the meantime, some of your fellow members' suggestions to change your part sounds like an excellent idea, and I hope that works for you.

[Shanarana]

Wow, I sure do hope that your ok. That must have hurt like hell. Your hair doesn't look that bad at all.

That sport can be brutal.

[NurseMama]

Wow! That must of been some force to knock the hair right out of the pore! or do you think that it was from your hair's reaction to the paint? Either way, it really sucks that this happened.

Let me second the Monistat recommendation. It really helps to get the roots going and before you know it (weeks even) that area could be covered in new baby hairs.

[Haith]

Owww! The last time I played paintball, I was laying flat on my front under/behind a tree on a ridge. One of the guys on the other team snuck up behind me and proceeded to shoot me in the back a dozen or so times. I was actually bleeding in all these ring-shaped marks on my back, since he had only been a few feet away. It was common courtesy at this range to call "mercy" when you've snuck up on someone and you're that close, but this guy was just a jerk (you'd think that one hit would have sufficed). I think maybe he was picking on me because I was the only girl on the team? Maybe it was just an over-competitive nature.

For the rest of the rounds, I picked him off first... every time. He didn't get more than a minute or two playing time. Ha! If you can't play nicely with others, you don't get to play at all.


I have never been hit close-range on the head, but I can imagine how painful it was! I don't know how much comfort I can really offer, but your hair will grow back in no time-- with a taste for revenge no doubt!

[alligatorbaby23]

Sorry about getting hurt. Did you have fun though? It's all relative if you did. The tip about some mascara/ eye shadow would work good without changing your parting, for a couple weeks until the hairs grow back.
VikingJarl, your story is equally as horrific. EEK!

[Islandgrrl]

No great advice here, sorry. I just wanted to say that I hope the hairs grow back quickly. The little bald patch isn't large and it's not so noticeable - but I can certainly understand your concern! I live near the beach, and in summertime here the seagulls pull clams out of the sand at low tide. They fly over the paved streets and drop the clams from the sky so they fall onto the pavement and smash - they can then eat the good bits out. I had the misfortune one day while walking with my DH about 7 years ago (hair was knee length), to be directly in the path of one of those falling clams. Clam hit me on the right side of the top of my head, near the back, and made a cut about an inch long that required stitches to close. And the ER doc shaved a bit around each side of the cut to make it easier. I had this little 1/4" wide 1"+ long bald spot on the back of the top of my head. Didn't crack the clam, though :)

[walkinglady]

Ouch, that was quite a blow! Great suggestions on hair parting and eyeshadow though!

[neenerbabe]

My hubby always wears this camo hat/bandana thing when he plays, it goes on your head like a bandana but has a bit of elastic and several ties in the back. Very comfy, I've tried it.

[spidermom]

Bummer! I was once sitting on the floor in the kitchen playing with my puppy, and when I stood up I ripped out a section of hair that had gotten caught on a cabinet door hinge. Yup - that hurt! It wasn't in the front, though. I feel for ya.

[Solitude]

Ouch. You guys play dangerously. Don't you have safety rules? No shots at the head? What if someone got shot that close in the neck, eye, etc?

Got shot in the hand once. That really hurt.

I guess the multiple shots someone else spoke of was necessary. Played with a guy who wore this sweatshirt that the paint balls didn't break on. They sort of bounced and rolled off. I can see why players having encountered such resistance, take no chances.

The slight bald spot doesn't look all that bad. Modify the part a bit if you want to hide it somewhat.

[<She>]

Oh, I'm sorry this happened to you, ShadowWalker. But really, it doesn't look so bad, you can't really tell if you're not searching for the spot. I'm sure you can get away with the parting slightly modified.

I hope you feel ok and everything is all right with your head. If not, you should go to see a doctor.

[GlassEyes]

e-e

I feel bad for you, though I can offer no more advice than the others. Sorry.

[blue_nant]

Juneii, I might give that a try. I've always liked a perfectly centered part, so it will take getting used to.

Take comfort in the idea that only you will notice a change in your part.

When I realized that having 2/3 of my hair on one side and a funky hairline warranted an other-than-middle part, I veered my part a bit, and no one but mwa ever knew ... at least no one seemed to notice.

I got my hair caught in an old-fashioned fan (sans grille) that wound up my length faster than... Well, it was darned fast! So fast and damned scary. One of my rare actual screams, lol.

[Gladtobemom]

Are you OK?

I'm not sure how hard you have to be hit to loose hair, but one would think it's pretty hard.

:grouphug:

[catekat]

Ow. That must have hurt. Sorry that had to happen.

Hey, it really doesn't look so bad. Being a guy, you're probably tall enough so people won't be able to see the top of your head well enough to notice. Parting it off-center may help. Your hair still looks really good. :D

[yogachic]

The pain of a paintball, is enough to keep me from Ever playing it.

[Soniasonia]

Ok, who do I have to jump? *cracks knuckles*

[jojo]

{{{{Shadow walker}}}}}} how are you today? has your headache gone?

I am worried about you, please write back and let us know.

[Shadow Walker]

I'm doing fine jojo, the headache is gone and my scalp only hurts slightly to the touch. I've taken shots to the top of my head before, except not at such close range. Not to worry, I've taken hits to much more...sensative areas before, so I'm used to the pain. :p I used to play tournaments way back when, and at the end of the day I'd be able to count dozens of marks all over my body, and you get used to it after awhile (for the most part) but there are still incidents like this that will ring your bell. It's scabbed up pretty good right now, hopefully new hair will start to fill in the spot soon. In the past I always had my hair real short, and have only recently started playing again now that my hair is long, so I was more bummed about having a bunch of hair torn out as opposed to the actual pain of being shot.

Solitude, yes there are safety rules. When you come up close on someone and they aren't aware you're there, you're supposed to tell them to surrender (which I of course would have). Getting shot even at a very close range has little chance of seriously hurting you, and the masks we wear protect our entire face and most of our neck, so getting shot there really isn't a concern unless someone is stupid enough to take their mask off during play.

And thanks for the good advice everyone, couldn't have asked for much more. neenerbabe, I will definately try playing with a bandana next time, that sounds like a great idea.

[Chrissy]

Really I can barely notice it. Unless someone is taller than you and looking at the top of your head I wouldn't worry about it. Be safer next time. I'm glad you are OK.

[darl_in1]

I was attacked a few years by four girls (trying to get my handbag). One of them grabbed two handfuls of my hair and held me, whilst another two repeatedly punched me in the face and one was wrestling me for my handbag.

The one holding my hair managed to rip two handfuls out of my head and left me with two bald patches - one of which was on the side of my head (and covered by the rest of my hair) and the other was on the top of my head and clearly visible. I didn't try to hide it.....and the new hair grew in quite quickly and covered the bald patch. The really annoying thing was whilst it grew for a while, the new hair on top would stick right up in the air, no matter what I did....even when I tried to slick it into a ponytail. It took a while for that patch to grow long enough to lay flat and blend in...but it did in the end!

[Patrycja]

Oh man! I'm so sorry for that :( It looks painful but I'm sure it'll grow back just fine :flowers:

[dor3girl]

Wow! Hope your hair grows back quickly!

[jojo]

I'm doing fine jojo, the headache is gone and my scalp only hurts slightly to the touch. I've taken shots to the top of my head before, except not at such close range. Not to worry, I've taken hits to much more...sensative areas before, so I'm used to the pain. I used to play tournaments way back when, and at the end of the day I'd be able to count dozens of marks all over my body, and you get used to it after awhile (for the most part) but there are still incidents like this that will ring your bell. It's scabbed up pretty good right now, hopefully new hair will start to fill in the spot soon. In the past I always had my hair real short, and have only recently started playing again now that my hair is long, so I was more bummed about having a bunch of hair torn out as opposed to the actual pain of being shot.

that is a relief, I have actually got out of bed to see if you had posted, must be the nurse in me!

Glad your feeling better. x


Darl in 1;

I was attacked a few years by four girls (trying to get my handbag). One of them grabbed two handfuls of my hair and held me, whilst another two repeatedly punched me in the face and one was wrestling me for my handbag.

My god this is an awful thing to happen, I had a similar thing about 5 years back, a girl literally lifted me from my seat by my hair, pulling a chunk out and then punched me fracturing my eye socket why? she thought I was giving her dirty looks. It was a really awful experience and I so understand how it feels to be attacked in this manner. We got through it stronger people I suppose, sorry you experienced this. x

[camillacamilla]

Wow that looks painful. I agree a sidepart would be a good idea to cover it for awhile.

[lynnala]

I don't think anyone will notice it as it's on top. My advice: don't look at it in the mirror! I have an obsession with a cowlick on the back of my head which makes it look like a bald spot. I wish I had never seen it! Now I can't stop worrying about it.

[Merkaba]

Sorry to see your hair has suffered some damage...if it helps it will begin to look normal within a month as the hair grows in...no one will notice as much as you yourself do. I've had chunks of hair ripped out, it grows back within a short amount of time.

Don't feel down :)