Any Nurses/Student Nurses??

[vintage88]

Hey everyone,
I'm a student Nurse who works long 13 hour shifts. I have a lot of trouble keeping my hair under control. I usually have it in a bun or pony tail, however I am constantly having to re-do my hair. I also get a lot of frizz which makes my hair look a mess no matter how much i comb or try to tame it. Someone once told me the lifts in the hospital cause static which makes hair frizzy so this could be why lol. But im finding it quite depressing as I seem to be the only person whos hair looks a complete mess :( and so far I haven't really see any other nurses with long hair either.

I was just wondering if anyone had any advice? I'm new here so any help would be much appreciated :)

[xoerincolleen]

Have you tried putting a little oil on it and then braiding it? You could do a braided bun, those are very secure. Or any sort of French or Dutch braid.
You could also try some sort of leave-in conditioner or anti-frizz product, although most of those have cones in them. I've used Tresemme anti-frizz creme with great results.
Good luck!

[Crackaleen]

I second using oil. The air in the hospital that I work at is very dry and static electricity is rampant. When I'm doing my hair before going to work in the morning, I often put a couple of drops of jojoba oil on my palms (not a lot, just enough so that there is a sheen of oil on my hands) and then smooth that down my length. Then my hair goes up into a protective style, these days it's usually a nautilus bun. I do generally end up redoing the bun at some point during the day. I've been known to wet my hands and run them over my hair if the halo of frizzies get really bad during the shift.

[ladyfey]

a braided bun with hairsticks (ketylos) or large claw clips holding it works well for me.

[jojo]

I am a staff nurse! I also work long days but what I do is oil my ends daily, put it up in a bun and then put a teeny bit over the canopy no problem. Though you should see my hair after a crash, i look like captain caveman then ha!

Good luck with your studies.

[Firefox7275]

Welcome Yorkshire resident! :)

I work in physical activity and have worked in hospitals in the past, so my hair is a constant fluffy/ poofy mess. I resorted to wet ponytailing, brushing and hairspraying last year which worked somewhat before my hair started breaking off. :( Turns out it is curlier that I thought, is this possible for you? The before shots on this thread (http://www.naturallycurly.com/curltalk/general-discussion-about-curly-hair/47609-post-your-before-after-cg-pics.html) from naturallycurly.com gave me my lightbulb moment!

Are you redoing the whole style because the ponytail or bun is falling out or because the front looks untidy? Aloe Vera gel, homemade flaxseed gel or leave-in conditioner can all be used as a gentle styling product. You can purchase anti-static brushes or combs but I have no idea if they are any good: kirby grips, spin pins and flexi-combs can be used to restrain loose strands, are not expensive but are hygienic.

[Tigermama]

Hi! Yes, I am a student nurse too and I can completely relate! I used to use a French braid with the end pinned up underneath. Now I have switched to a silk scrunchie to make a big loop on the very top of my head. I wear a wide headband with it to tame down the frizz. Some leave in and a little pomade help too. Lucky for me, there is a mini trend among nurses here to grow very long hair. One woman has tailbone, and several others BSL or longer. They wear french braids or a giant bun on the very top secured with tiny claw clips.

By trial and error I learned that I cannot wear a twist in the back every day. Too much pulling, and I was on my way to a bald spot. Now my goal is to find secure, neat looking styles that can pile on top to reduce traction. Aloe vera gel is also good for the frizz control!

My curly hair would never look good in one of the angled, modern cuts so many nurses choose these days. I understand the challenge of looking sharp and still growing living hair with a mind of its own! It can be done. Mostly my teachers are just happy I don not wear it on my shoulders or an unnatural color.

[pepperedmoth]

I'm a nurse at a busy hospital and also work 12.5 hour shifts. My hair also frizzes out badly by the end!

Headbands and some sort of "product" are my solution. I use oil if my hair needs it, but often mousse because I don't want it to be totally slicked down.

I like headbands that have combs built into them, and I also like the thin elastic ones that are rubberized.

[jojo]

we have quite a few nurses I see! to the OP where are you training? I did mine at Leeds University!

[vintage88]

we have quite a few nurses I see! to the OP where are you training? I did mine at Leeds University!

It is great to hear from so many nurses:) im studying at Hull Uni, really loving it so far, im just at the end of my first year! I bet training in Leeds was fab, I really like it there especially nights out! :D

[vintage88]

Thanks so much to everyone for the advice, definately have lots of ideas to get my hair under control! :)

[SimplyViki]

Aloe vera gel worked pretty well for me during my clinicals the first semester. I just wet my hands, put one squirt of aloe vera, rubbed my hands together, and smoothed over my hair. At some point I couldn't be bothered anymore, though, and just tolerated the flyaways. Too much else to worry about in clinicals.

[GRU]

It might help a bit more if we knew your curl-type...

And hospitals are all dry by design -- germies prefer a moist environment, so keeping things dry helps to prevent the spread of disease, fungus, etc.

With me being a full-on curly, frizz is just a fact of life. I try not to pull my hair back into an EXTREMELY slick bun, as that makes my frizz more and more evident -- if I do a looser pull-back (the bun can be tight, just not the hair that lies along my scalp on its way to the bun), then my whole head is more poofy so the frizz just looks like part of the 'do. If I ever do want to do a slicker/sleeker look, I like to add some oil to some aloe vera gel and mix well, then smooth over the parts I want to be slick.

I don't do ponytails, because they don't really do much to contain my hair. My hair will be pulled back, but then at the back of my head there's this huge POOFY EXPLOSION and if I bend over it envelops the sides of my face and obscures my vision (and it tickles, too!).

My go-to is a Nautilus-like bun (not sure mine has a name?) held with a single hairstick. I prefer to wear an acrylic hairstick (hello Eaduard! hello LadyIdun!) when I'm at the hospital, because I can easily rub it down with alcohol or give it a good scrub in the sink if need be. I'd hate to have to subject one of my wooden beauties to that type of treatment.

[jojo]

It is great to hear from so many nurses:) im studying at Hull Uni, really loving it so far, im just at the end of my first year! I bet training in Leeds was fab, I really like it there especially nights out! :D

I loved every minute of it, hard work but such a rewarding profession. The second year drags a bit but your 3rd year woooooooosh! its over!!! enjoy it!

[iluvmurphie]

Hi! I'm a nursing student too, but right now still waiting to apply to a program. I'm finishing up my last two prereqs. When I'm working in the lab, I usually put my hair up in some sort of bun. I discovered spin pins by Goody a few weeks ago, and they have a surprisingly secure hold...I can keep it in without having to adjust it for 5 hours. Good luck! :)

[owlathena]

My sister graduated form nursing school yesterday! I'll ask her how she wears her hair (BSL) at the hospital.

[Coriander]

I have classic-length hair which is unusual for nurses or nursing students around here. LOL I've gone through trial-and-error of different styles over the past two years.

I normally do a cinnamon bun held by a Ficcare or some kind of twisty stick bun. Those things hold like a rock and I don't have to worry about my hair falling into anything interesting. ;)

[GRU]

I have classic-length hair which is unusual for nurses or nursing students around here. LOL I've gone through trial-and-error of different styles over the past two years.

I normally do a cinnamon bun held by a Ficcare or some kind of twisty stick bun. Those things hold like a rock and I don't have to worry about my hair falling into anything interesting. ;)

That's one diplomatic way of saying it! :lol:

[Hotrox]

Another nurse checking in :D

When on the wards, I like to do a high cinnabun, held with a simple hair tie (metal free!) or a simple pony pull through and avoid touching it all. A bit of leave in condish applied to dry hair on the ends helps with the static and frizz.

I am not sure how well hair sticks, forks and such would be viewed where I worked - Maybe it is ok, but I liked to keep my hair accessories very simple and hidden if possible.

Good luck with the training :)

[GRU]

I am not sure how well hair sticks, forks and such would be viewed where I worked - Maybe it is ok, but I liked to keep my hair accessories very simple and hidden if possible.

I should probably point out that the acrylic sticks I use in clinicals are the little ones, so there's maybe 1-2cm of stick showing on each side (and that's just "showing" but not necessarily "sticking out" -- my bun is pretty poofy, go figure! :lol: ). A claw clip or barrette would be WAY more conspicuous / visible than the 5" acrylics I tend to use. I save my big CrisantiGlass and longer acrylic sticks for home / office / school.

Realized I didn't clarify that when I first posted.... sorry about that!

[Hotrox]

I should probably point out that the acrylic sticks I use in clinicals are the little ones, so there's maybe 1-2cm of stick showing on each side (and that's just "showing" but not necessarily "sticking out" -- my bun is pretty poofy, go figure! :lol: ). A claw clip or barrette would be WAY more conspicuous / visible than the 5" acrylics I tend to use. I save my big CrisantiGlass and longer acrylic sticks for home / office / school.

Realized I didn't clarify that when I first posted.... sorry about that!

Oh yes, I am sure this would be ok, just not a massive and beautiful Grahtoe fork sticking out of a bun :D

[GRU]

Oh yes, I am sure this would be ok, just not a massive and beautiful Grahtoe fork sticking out of a bun :D

I can just see a nurse showing up on the unit with a huge Whale Tail hairstick sticking out of her head! :lol:

[kitten1986]

medical student here! (I KNOW not technically nursing student/nurse but can i join too pretty pleeaasseee?) I dont start my full time clinical rotations till next year and by then I should be mid way between bsl and waist ( I am almost bsl now :D yay!)
My last two half day clinical visits I wore my hair in a pony tail... which is boring and I dont want to be doing that every day next year! So I am thinking of trying to learn how to braid my hair... but does anyone have any ideas that I can start practicing now so I can have them down pat by next year?

[vintage88]

My sister graduated form nursing school yesterday! I'll ask her how she wears her hair (BSL) at the hospital.

Congratulations to your sister! And that would be great thanks we have the same hair length :)

[vintage88]

medical student here! (I KNOW not technically nursing student/nurse but can i join too pretty pleeaasseee?) I dont start my full time clinical rotations till next year and by then I should be mid way between bsl and waist ( I am almost bsl now :D yay!)
My last two half day clinical visits I wore my hair in a pony tail... which is boring and I dont want to be doing that every day next year! So I am thinking of trying to learn how to braid my hair... but does anyone have any ideas that I can start practicing now so I can have them down pat by next year?

Of course you can!:D and im the same, I wear my hair pretty much the same everyday. Unfortunately I dont know how to braid either so would be good to learn if anyone has any interesting ideas!

[kitten1986]

I can do a VERY crude three stranded braid, but have trouble keeping all of the pieces separate so I end up with a horrible knotty tangled braid that is definitely not suitable for wearing outside of the house! I am planning to spend some time looking at how to videos over my mid year break and improving my technique a bit and hopefully I can start to wear some simple braids daily and try to master some fancier ones.
Does anyone else find that their braids are really stiff? if I do two side braids they stick out and look really weird and just never seem to relax and look normal.:confused:

in the meantime does anyone have some suggestions of other styles I can try? the only hair toy I have is one double pronged hairstick (not suitable for hospital but good to practice with) so suggestions on where is best to get suitable hair toys would also be great! (I am in Australia so online would be best) :D