Not every extreme disaster is of the natural variety. Extreme hair disasters, for example, are almost entirely man-made. We’ve combed the depths of the internet and asked all of our stylist friends for some of the worst extreme hair disasters they could think of, and how to avoid or come back from them. These four hair horror stories serve as a clear warning to be careful with your hair, or risk some extreme consequences.
1. Low-Quality Hair Extensions
It’s hard to imagine anything going terribly wrong with a procedure as common and everyday as getting hair extensions, right? That’s not what one woman, Jodi, experienced when an unfamiliar stylist used wax to secure her extensions instead of glue. The result? When Jodi went to straighten her hair the next morning, the wax melted and tangled with her actual hair, leaving a brittle, burned mess. Worse, Jodi actually had to pull much of her own hair out when she tried to remove the scalding wax and extensions.
The lesson in this story is that you need to be able to trust your stylist. That means find someone you like, and stick with them. Always double check that you’re getting the exact procedure that you think you are, and make sure you’re clear on follow-up instructions, no matter what you get done.
2. Hair Tie Bacteria
If you have long hair, you probably keep a hair tie or hair band around your wrist just in case, right? Well, you might want to be careful with that. One woman ended up developing a serious infection on her wrist from common bacteria found on the hair band. The band caused a small abrasion, which allowed the bacteria to penetrate her skin and turn into a large and painful abscess.
Hair ties, like all porous cloth objects, absorb materials from the environment around them, and hair is especially full of bacteria (which is one of the reasons you need a licence to cut hair!). Always make sure you replace hair bands after some use, and if you notice one causing any kind of abrasions on your wrist, take it off immediately and leave it off until the abrasion heals.
3. Bunchems Hair Accessories
It’s not every day children’s toys can be considered hair disasters. This holiday season, though, things are going to get hairy (sorry, couldn’t resist!) The troublemaker is a hot new toy called Bunchems. These little balls are covered in velcro-like hooks and stick together to each other, letting children build anything they can imagine. The trouble starts because not only do Bunchems stick to Bunchems – they also stick to hair! Parents around the country are comparing these toys to bubble gum, in terms of how hard it is to remove.
The manufacturer of the toy, Spin Masters, has put up a warning stating that Bunchems should be kept away from hair. Spin Masters has obviously never dealt with a child if they think a warning is going to do anything. If your children happen to get these stuck in their hair, the best solution is to put conditioner or vegetable oil in your child’s hair and then gently comb the bunchems out from below.
