Hair Acrobat Accident

[Kina]

Just watched on the news a report of an accident at a circus show in Rhode Island. http://www.cnn.com/2014/05/04/us/circus-accident-rhode-island/

It seems that they were a "living chandelier" and the platform collapsed. It seems that they are ok, so far, injured but ok. It really made me think of the "I would do many things for my hair, but I won't do that".


i seriously, seriously would never do that. I'm tenderheaded to begin with, i can't imagine voluntarily hanging from just my hair!

[two_wheels]

Here is an interview with a lady who does just that. 2 bottles of conditioner a day... Which I would think would make hair too stretchy but I'm sure she's the expert!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26712995

[Rosa Harris]

All I can say is ouch. I hope none of them suffered scalp damage from that fall.

On another note this act always fascinated me. I would have loved to do it if I had not been a terrible porky.

Had to settle with being a fire goddess :)

Not in a circus, tho. Fire dancing is just something my family has always played with for show.

[two_wheels]

All I can say is ouch. I hope none of them suffered scalp damage from that fall.
Oh my goodness, I forgot to say the same. I hope everyone recovers well, performers and spectators alike.
Rosa that's awesome, I tried fire breathing once, it's thrilling! I prefer to watch, these days :lol:

[meteor]

I just saw this in the news: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-27284935
I really hope those "hairialist" acrobats will recover soon! :blossom:

I checked out their hair routine, and it appears to be very LHC-friendly: http://www.ringling.com/ContentPage.aspx?id=47811&parentID=1467&assetFolderID=1476
Hair Hangers’ Hair Care:


Air Dry Only
No Flat Iron
No Brushing When Wet
Special Shampoo
Daily Vitamins

[Larki]

With critical injuries, I'm sure none of them are particularly concerned about their hair right now.

[gonzobird]

Those poor ladies! How awful. I hope they get better soon!

[meteor]

Here is an interview with a lady who does just that. 2 bottles of conditioner a day... Which I would think would make hair too stretchy but I'm sure she's the expert!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-26712995

Thanks for sharing the link, two_wheels. :) The photos of Anastasia pulling a car and lifting a woman are just wow!
I was surprised to see that she leaves hair WET for the show to make it stronger. It goes against the conventional knowledge about hair being at its weakest point when it's wet. But I would imagine it helps with flexibility, anti-snap "stretchiness" of hair.
So she conditions her hair at least 5 times a day. I'm curious about the conditioner and its ingredients.

[Kina]

With critical injuries, I'm sure none of them are particularly concerned about their hair right now.
I'm sure they aren't! The report I heard on the news mentioned injuries, but not in the critical range. I hope they recover quickly and well.

[gonzobird]

She says she keeps it wet for the show so it stretches.....whoa.
Eeek. That makes me cringe!

[freznow]

The accident was not due to the "hair" part of the rigging. Whoever rigged the blasted chandelier did not check it thoroughly, or there was something unforeseeable that went wrong with the equipment. Thankfully, everyone did come out of it alive.

Professional rigging is important, and incidents like these are reminders to the aerialist community of the importance of proper rigging, maintenance, as well as the ever-present possibility of your equipment not being up to snuff in a way you can't prevent. Cirque du Soleil has a near spotless record with only one fatality, EVER, but one in a million is still one.

[two_wheels]

I cannot even begin to imagine the moment you realise your equipment is failing mid-performance. Horrifying.

[ravenreed]

I imagine that a goodly amount of their training goes into how to deal with such occurrences. Even so...


I cannot even begin to imagine the moment you realise your equipment is failing mid-performance. Horrifying.

[MINAKO]

OH! MY!! GOD!!! :bigeyes: This really shouldnt have happened if everything was doublechecked like it should. I love acrobatic performances and although im not a big fan of this one in particular, because even if it goes well it kind of causes me headaches just to watch... anyways, but those poor girls. I hope the will be well and able to keep on doing what they love.

[xoChesleyy]

The thought of me hanging by my hair makes me want to cringe.. It seems like that would be quite painful.
I'm wondering though, how do these performers not get hair loss, traction alopecia, or any other condition from doing this on a daily basis? :confused:
I hope they all turned out alright and make a quick recovery.

[duchess67]

I watched this on BBC, it was a terrible accident. Heard that no one is critically injured. Hope everyone recovers soon.

[Lindseyh]

It would be fascinating to talk to one of these ladies and ask questions about their hair and routine. Maybe now that theyve gotten lots of publicity they will do interviews once they're back on their feet.

[Macaroni]

The local news reported that it was a sort of clip ring that failed and it was the only connection to the rigging.

[Stormynights]

Thankfully, they all survived the fall, but I am surprised this hasn't already been discussed here.

It's a very unique, traditional circus act. And most circus schools that I'm aware of don't teach it," said Elsie Smith, the artistic director at the New England Center for Circus Arts.
Each acrobat's hair is wrapped around a steel cable ring attached to rigging that hoists the performer upward. And therein lies the secret: The specific technique used to secure the hair to the rigging is closely guarded.
"We all keep it to ourselves how we tie our hair and how we do it," said Christopher Williams, a 24-year-old hair hanger who counts some of the injured performers among his friends. "No one really knows the secret."
A third-generation hair-hanging circus performer who grew up on tour with his family, Williams has shiny brown hair that dangles down to his elbows. Like most hair hangers, he has a strict regimen that keeps his hair strong, including a regular treatment mixture of avocados, eggs, mayonnaise and vinegar.
The hair must be tied to the rig in such a way that the load of the person's weight is evenly distributed across the scalp. Otherwise, performers can literally scalp themselves accidentally or fluid can pool in one section of the head.
"It is very painful. There's a reason that not many people do it," said Williams, whose act includes juggling fire and hula-hooping while suspended high in the air. "We smile and we look like we're not in pain.


Read more: http://www.wcvb.com/news/hair-hanging-a-rare-and-painful-circus-act/25824940#ixzz316MAhrLn

[MINAKO]

there was a thread about this.
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=122611
Thankfully none of the women paid with their life in this, could have been avoided alltogther. :(

[Stormynights]

I don't know how I missed that. I even did a search for that here and still didn't see it.

[Nedertane]

Oh gosh, I saw that on the news. Thank goodness they're okay, and trained to do this professionally! I could feel my scalp screaming as I watched the recorded performance. D:

[YamaMaya]

All I can say is, aint no WAY I would hang by my hair.

[MINAKO]

YamaMaya, me neither, at no price! I wonder why they keep bragging about their routine tho, even the thinnest pony could hold a person, just the scalp must hurt really bad. I mean, even if i make my bun a bit to tight it affects the skin of the face and nape. Sounds so painful and unhealthy. let alone the accident. I would never even want to see the show if it was running smooth. OK, i appreciate and respect the skills but i seriously couldn't watch it.

[Stormynights]

Oops!!!!!!

[Stormynights]

Joanna Sawicka holds the Guinness World Record for lifting the greatest weight with her hair. Her occupation is one in which split ends or excessively dry hair could result in a ripped scalp. So how do you care for such locks?

Ms Sawicka - or Anastasia IV as she is known on stage - gets through a lot of hair conditioner. Two bottles a day on average, says the Polish-born 26-year-old, who performs with the Circus of Horrors.

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

Her daily hair care regime would make the averagely vain weep”

Her stage routine sees her hanging, spinning or swinging high in the air. However, she's not dangling from a special harness or cradle - she's hanging by her hair.

Either that, or she is strung up by her feet while upside down with heavy weights attached to her locks.

She is a modern master of "hair hanging" - a circus skill originally thought to have been performed in China by men.

After arriving in London to study biochemistry, she dropped everything and joined the circus after seeing a performance by the Circus of Horrors.

She began circus life as a side-show act, lying on beds of nails and the like, before opting for the more "spectacular" hair hanging.

"Running off with the circus was definitely a romantic thing for me," she says.

Anastasia IV
As well as her performances on stage, Anastasia IV has used her hair to pull vehicles
"Luckily for me, hair hanging is pretty recession-proof. And there are not many people queuing up to take my position. I am quite secure in my employment."

Her technique, she admits, is the result of "trial and error". The first few times she tried it, she said the experience was so painful she cried.

"It feels", she says, "just like you might imagine hanging from your hair would feel - a very immediate pulling sensation at the top of the head."

The pain, she is keen to assure people, does lessen into a dull sensation but it never disappears completely.

Her waist-length hair is her livelihood (she makes enough to live, "plus a bit extra", she says). And as such, not only is her hair insured against accidental damage to the tune of £1m but it is subjected to a daily hair care regime that would make the averagely vain weep.

Anastasia IV
Anastasia met her husband Hannibal (left) in a pub in Camden, north London, before she joined the circus. He is a professional sword swallower and she says their understanding of the circus is key to their relationship
When on tour both hair colourants and hair dryers are banned and visits to the hairdresser are filled with trepidation in case they cut too much off or damage her hair in any way.

Anastasia, who lives in London with her husband (and professional sword swallower) Hannibal Hellmurto, conditions her hair at least five times a day when on the road.

The first wad of conditioner goes on during the morning. The second is slapped on during the early afternoon, when the troupe arrives at the show venue.

As the night's show starts to loom, a third bout of conditioning begins. That conditioner is then washed out with the hair left wet so that it is stronger.

It remains wet during the show only to be conditioned once more immediately after the curtains draw.

This batch of conditioner is left in for about an hour to enrich the hair after the evening's exploits.

Breaking the world record
To set a new Guinness World Record, Anastasia IV held a woman weighing 117 lb 11 oz (53.4 kg) from her hair while suspended upside down
The fifth and final conditioning dollop goes in late at night, after the troupe reaches its hotel.

"It is a bit of a pain I must say," says Anastasia. "I use loads of conditioner and hair vitamins.

"Your life is ruled by what you do for a job. Mine is all about my hair.

"There's not much of the day when my hair does not have something on it."

Continue reading the main story
The £1m hair insurance policy

Anastasia's hair is insured against accidental damage.

The following are covered under her policy:

Loss of hair as a result of an accident
Somebody accidentally or deliberately setting Anastasia's hair alight
The loss of her hair as a result of hair bleaching at a salon
If it is not being conditioned or used as a means of personal suspension, chances are Anastasia's hair is being brushed or carefully plaited into shape by her husband.

But this is not your run-of-the-mill brushing and plaiting. With each hair able to hold a weight of up to 3.5oz (100g), using each strand to maximum effect is the key factor in avoiding an intensely painful accident.

"The way I distribute the weight on my hair is very particular," she says.

"It takes about half an hour for me to brush my hair around evenly and then to find the point on my head on which all the hair is pulling at the same angle and with the same tension.

"Otherwise, any hair that is tangled-up or uneven will pull out, which makes it more painful.

"After that it takes about 45 minutes for two guys, including my husband to plait my hair like a rope."

Anastasia IV
Anastasia IV brushes her hair for about half an hour before each show
It is a hair care regime which works. In fact, the issues Anastasia encounters are not with her hair, but in her neck and shoulders. She also suffers regular headaches and the occasional migraine while her three-month circus tours typically result in a toughened area at the top of her scalp.

"It definitely roughens up. I get a bump on the top of my head. I'm not entirely sure what it is," she says.

"It could just be a callus on the head, or perhaps the skin has been lifted up and it is fluid in between."

Describing hair hanging as "not something you want to do forever", Anastasia says she plans to do it for another "couple of years" and has not ruled out a return to biochemistry.

When you ask her if she has any grey hairs, she chuckles.

"No, none," she replies. "Perhaps that's because of all the conditioning."

And for the record, Anastasia has no split ends either.

[MINAKO]

Well, frankly it does sound sound dodgy, like if you can put up with the pain and of course have the other acrobatic skills, than the hair can#t make that much of a difference. I mean, Hellooo, I wonder what conditioner sches using 5 times a day, that would be better than an Oil, plus the hydral fatigue it must result in Yes we all know that wet hair certainly isn't stronger, it just might distribute the weight better because it stretches, but the statement is just off). :( Half an hour brushing for what? Im done in 10 minutes if i had it in the same bun all weekend. I haven't seen her actual hair, although i would love to, and i'm not judging cause everyones hair is different and need a diffent kind of care. But to me this sounds like she does what the shampoo commercials tell you, just 5 times more often. :confused: