How to take care of hair with a concussion? :/

[FallingDarkness]

Hi yall, I have a problem. On Monday I passed out and hit my head on the concrete floor, resulting in a major concussion on the back of my head. IDK how to put my hair up, and I can barely stand up long enough to shower. I'm really not doing so hot. Because I hit a nausea nerve or something I can barely eat food, so now I'm afraid that my hair's gonna start falling out, and that I'm not going to get any hair growth this month. . . Recovery time takes 2-4 weeks and I don't know how I'm going to be able to handle this. I mean I can't do anything. No more coconut oil, or CWC washes, or 10 minute gentle detangling sessions with my comb... HELP.

[Firefox7275]

Drink your food, whole milk or protein shakes or nutrient shakes.

[queenovnight]

Forget about your hair, and worry about your health for now. I hope you feel better soon.

[brickworld13]

Forget about your hair, and worry about your health for now. I hope you feel better soon.

^This.

I couldn't take care of my hair all that well when I had a major concussion from a car accident. I just left it in messy braids all the time. I had to kneel to wash it too because standing was too much effort. Don't concern yourself with the hair. Benign neglect doesn't hurt it at all.

[Symbiotek]

Can you ask someone to come over and braid your hair into a relatively tight French braid? You can have it like that for days before you need to wash it again, maybe even wear a bandana over it if it starts to look bad. If you can drink without feeling ill, you could try those vitamin pills that dissolve in water/juice. That's what I'd do in your situation, anyway. I hope you'll get better soon! :flower:

[Hibernis]

The better you take care of your body, the better you are taking care of your hair.

Sleep. Eat well. Rest. Bodies are good at fixing themselves if you let them.

[Anje]

Take care of yourself, perhaps heavily oil your hair and have someone braid it really loosely. (I imagine tight anything would be horribly painful right now.) Leave it alone, let the oil help keep it from getting as frizzy and knotted as it would otherwise. Don't wear it up -- that'll just put pressure on the injured part of your head.

In a week or two, when you can actually stand to be upright and take care of yourself, you can start gingerly working on the process of washing your hair and all that. With some luck, the oil will help you detangle it more easily than you otherwise could after a week of neglect.

[Cania]

Don't fret, the stress is bad for your hair ;)
It won't start falling out or stop growing. Take a deep breath.

I had a horrible concussion last year, took a spill on my motorcycle and knocked my head on the concrete, skidded the rest of the way down the road. Yay for helmets, eh? I hurt my arms something rotten to top it all off, so I couldn't raise them enough to do much.
For the first week, I got my mother to braid my hair lightly and I just left it alone. After that I started feeling better day by day, so I would get in the bath (with the door open, talking to someone. I was a bit scared of passing out) and do a mermaid wash.

If you're not up to that, what about asking your mother to apply dry shampoo for you? It's not perfect but it'll tide you over for a while. Only other suggestion... hats? :laugh:

Hope you are feeling better!

[Nadine <3]

I would be more concerned with my health at this point. Rest, drink lots of fluids. Your hair will still be there when you're healthy enough to care for it.

[Timea]

I had a really bad concussion in January, and I'm still feeling the effects of it. The TV fell off the high shelf and landed on my head and hit me like a hammer hits a bent nail.

It does get better, slowly, and the initial bruised pain will go away. Twin braids can be useful. I put mine in twin braids a lot at first.

It can be hard to relearn how to do things. and some days thinking will be hard. on those days it is good to do routine stuff that you can do sort of on auto pilot. i pretty much eat the same thing everyday because if i had to think about what to make i wouldn't be able make anything, i have trouble with basic steps. but i can do some more complicated things because i've done them every day.

you might find you have trouble understanding things, or using language. it does get better over time.

if you can afford it, you should see a doctor. and if you have anyone who could stay with you, they could help. i didn't and it was pretty hard. it was a victory if i managed to feed myself and if you have someone there they can help with stuff like that.


todo lists help a lot! i have all sorts of basic stuff on my todo list, like change underwear and brush teeth and make food and make food again and drink coffee and drink tea and all sorts of really basic stuff that maybe most people don't need on their todo list but hey this way i never have to wonder if i've already changed my underwear and change it too many times by mistake.

[lapushka]

I'd wash it as little as possible and if you do have to wash, do it with your head upright. Dry shampoo is your friend. Take good care of yourself. Hope you get better soon! :blossom:

[bunzfan]

Like everyone has said take care of yourself first I know when I'm really ill have been recently I can't bear anything but a loose braid I just combed it once a day and re braided... I thought concussion was highly dangerous the amount of times I've been to the hospital with my kids when they've knocked their heads it actually freaks me out... Plenty of rest and relaxation for you I wouldn't even shower till you are feeling stronger.

[Anje]

Wouldn't brushing out dry shampoo hurt too much? (Never had a concussion, possibly too hard-headed for that!) Seems like the first week is a good time to have greasy hair and give dirty looks and hand signals to anyone who says you shouldn't.

[Cania]

I liked to use a nice, dark dry shampoo and rub it in with my fingertips softly. No brushing out required if you only use a tiny bit, maybe just on the front bits?

I agree though, sod anyone who tries to judge you for greasy hair after a spill. Health before hair.

[FallingDarkness]

Aww thanks you guys. I'm working on getting better. I sleep most of the day. I've stopped spewing, which is good, and now can handle like 500 calories a day... Still not enough, but major improvement from where I was just a few days ago. I'll probably just stop washing my hair for a little while, and since the back of my head is throbbing like mad even with pain meds I don't think I'm gonna want to do any tight braids. . . I have it in a loose English braid right now but twin braids might work better.

Thank you all again for your lovely advice :)

[lilin]

True those Ensure shakes and protein drinks. Avacados, oils to cook with -- try to get as much (healthy) density of calories as you can from smaller amounts of food. Glad you're taking care of yourself!

As others said, don't worry about your hair. It's not just gonna stop growing and all fall out.

A few months ago, I was going through major bereavement, multiple illnesses (the former probably contributing to the latter), recovering from injury, surgery, and was too sick to eat well for quite a while. I was just a complete mess.

I was paying it no attention whatsoever, and my hair kept right on growing. I wouldn't be surprised if it was slower than usual, but it grew. And a few months later, I haven't really had a some kind of big shed. Our bodies are amazingly resilient.

And ultimately, your health is all that really matters.

[Federica]

I'm so sorry that happened to you!
I never had a concussion, but I have been in the hospital several times and when you're unable to move freely and have health issues, long hair care is really the last thing you want to take care of.
My suggestion is to ask someone you love to oil your hair, make two side braids for you, not very tight, and leave it alone as long as you can't afford a regular wash.
I think that side braids are more comfortable if you spend a lot of time in bed, because they don't push on your nape.
I hope you heal completely soon!
:grouphug: