Fan Horror (Not to be confused with horror fan)

[WeirdCatEars]

Summer is coming (southern hemisphere ftw) and with it comes the source of one of my most deeply ingrained hair fears: fans.


I personally never went through getting my hair tangled up in one of those, but ever since I was a kid I’ve heard the tale of my aunt, who as a curly waist length suffered a fate most terrible with one of these spawns of the devil (one which I inherited, but luckily is no longer in circulation in my house, and it stayed in the furthest corner of my room for every year it was).


Every year when the time comes to bring a fan to my room I get reminded of it and my scalp cringes a little whenever I have to go past it.


Does anyone else have trouble trusting fans around their hair/horror stories starring those dastardly machines?

[Mega Moose]

Not fans specifically, but I do hear horror stories of people being scalped by machinery and make sure my hair is up if I know I'm going to be around any (like when I'm wood working, or messing with my Dremel tool, etc). It makes me hurt to think about it! D:

[Jo Ann]

After I got mine caught in the roller brush of my vacuum (my own stupid fault--I didn't tie my hair back before I turned it on after I cleaned said roller brush--chalk it up to "I should've known better--but I didn't"), I don't mess around with stuff that can move in circles faster than I can dodge them. With fans, either I have my hair up OR I approach them from the front, so my hair's blown out of the way.

Now, that ceiling fan will NOT be a friend of mine if I don't remember "No Moshing!" when I'm under it--"up close and personal" with something like that is NOT a good look for me.

[lapushka]

Ever since I read in the newspaper (many odd years ago) about a little girl who got scalped because she had caught her hair in the passenger's side door of her mom's car and it started moving out of the driveway. How it happened, IDK, but she got severe scalp damage from it. It was big news at the time about safety and such.

I don't trust a fan + loose long hair. Sorry if some of you dry your hair by a fan but I don't think it is such a good idea. Only one wisp of hair has to be caught by the wind and get rotated around and it will probably pull the hair from your scalp sooner than you can switch it off.

[Hairkay]

Not fans specifically, but I do hear horror stories of people being scalped by machinery and make sure my hair is up if I know I'm going to be around any (like when I'm wood working, or messing with my Dremel tool, etc). It makes me hurt to think about it! D:

I recall reading about a lady in China that got scalped by machinery where she worked. Even her eyebrows got removed. Fortunately they were able to reattach her scalp and most of her hair follicles including her eyebrows survived. She is currently sporting a pixie cut instead of her usual long hair.

I've never had a fear of fans. I didn't grow up wearing my hair loose. It was always tied back and plaited/braided. Plus mother, a nurse had her time working in A & E so she made sure we never had hanging clothing or even earrings. She saw too many accidents victims resulting from such things.

[leayellena]

Hi dear,
Try to wear your hair ONLY in buns. No messy buns either! Nothing fluffy!
For a spicing your look try braided buns. Or braided Dutch and French braid (s)

I don't know if a fan can do such damages to the human body in general and trust me when I am saying: I don't want to think about this!

[Sarahlabyrinth]

I once worked with a lady who had quite short hair, the reason being that she had previously had it long but it had somehow become caught in a fan which had ripped a large chunk out of her scalp.

I also remember hearing of a girl who was swimming with her hair loose, it was sucked into the pool filtration, trapping her head under the water and she drowned.

Also person driving with her hair loose and the car window down, her hair wrapped around the steering wheel and while she was trying to unwrap it she veered into the opposing lane and was killed in a head on collision....

Wearing long hair up is a very sensible thing.

[Beeboo123]

Nearly got decapitated by a ceiling fan when I was standing on a table (don’t ask what I was doing that for). I LOATHE those things...

[Alysia]

No fans, but I got the safety lecture in my first press class and have given it myself.
Hair gets put up, jewelry comes off, even your wedding ring.
My teacher claimed to have worked at a shop that had a scalp tacked to a bulletin board as a reminder. :shudder:

[ShahMat]

The longer my hair gets, the more I'm scared by any mechanical device that spins, like fans, the handrail of escalators and so on. As a result, my hair is always bunned in presence of said devices.
I once knew a girl who had a scar across all of her forehead: turns out her long hair got stuck in the wheel of a tractor, which ripped away a big chunk of hair and skin. Cringiest story ever.

[Wildcat Diva]

My longhair son is starting his career classes as a machinist. We have had THE TALK (about the hair going up) and purchased the welding caps.

As he is still a minor and getting dual credit (for high school and college) I called his college teacher and made sure he was acting safely with his hair around the machines and got reassured. That’s not the only reason I called, was also checking his performance, but that WAS a topic I needed reassurance on.

[Simsy]

I work in a transport yard; lots of machinery, forklifts, freight in all shapes and sizes. Even when my hair was still above my shoulders, you bet I tied that sucker up and slipped a bandanna over the top to make sure the flyaways were well out of harm’s reach. I don’t even wear my wedding ring to work for risk of loosing a finger.

[pailin]

I haven't had any trouble with with fans like that, and I have one on almost constantly. Although my hair is almost always contained except for detangling or sleeping. I do dry my hair by sitting in front of a fan, but it's a good 8 feet or so away. I have had trouble with sheds though - I think they get ducked in of the floor or something and I've had to cut them out of the mechanism.

[Suortuva]

I'm sorry for my stupid question, but what on earth is a fan (in this context)? I just can't figure it out... And yes, English is not my native language...

[Hairkay]

I'm sorry for my stupid question, but what on earth is a fan (in this context)? I just can't figure it out... And yes, English is not my native language...

It's an electric appliance that circulate air around. See pictures here.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=electric+fan&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjoos6JjILYAhXhL8AKHSmTC6cQ_AUICygC&biw=1242&bih=602

[Mega Moose]

I recall reading about a lady in China that got scalped by machinery where she worked. Even her eyebrows got removed. Fortunately they were able to reattach her scalp and most of her hair follicles including her eyebrows survived. She is currently sporting a pixie cut instead of her usual long hair.


Even her EYEBROWS!? Ooooow, oh gosh it's a miracle they were able to save enough of her scalp for her to have hair left at all! Poor lady..

[Suortuva]

Thanks for the explanation, Hairkay!

No fans in my life...:cool:

[MlleMC]

The longer my hair gets, the more I'm scared by any mechanical device that spins, like fans, the handrail of escalators and so on. As a result, my hair is always bunned in presence of said devices.


I don't always wear my hair up on escalators, but if it's down or in a braid, I hold the ends in the hand that's furthest from the handrail.

[Hairkay]

Even her EYEBROWS!? Ooooow, oh gosh it's a miracle they were able to save enough of her scalp for her to have hair left at all! Poor lady..
They showed a picture of the detached scalp just before surgery to reattach it. You could clearly see the forehead bit with eyebrows. I didn't post the story link here because I thought that would be too gruesome.


Thanks for the explanation, Hairkay!

No fans in my life...:cool:

You are welcome Suortuva, I own just one that I've used once. I'd rather not use them at all.