Hair salon worry

LegacyUser

I'm a 24 year old woman and suffer from an anxiety disorder which means I worry about infection all the time - I try not to get manicures and things like that because I don't trust the hygiene in salons. I do obviously have to get my hair cut and normally this is OK but this time I had a student hairdresser who was basically a real bimbo and very unfriendly, she kept scraping my scalp with the clips, I told her to stop it and she did it yet again. I now have a really sore spot on my scalp a day later from where she scraped it and now I'm worried about possible transmission of a blood borne disease, as I doubt they actually sterilise these clips. Normally I don't worry about it as most hairdresser seem able to carry out the clipping up of hair without ripping my skin open. What can I do now?

sexdwarf

Well the first thing is that you acknowledge that this is about your anxiety disorder, not about the clips, so you know that these are irrational thoughts.

Just keep reminding yourself that the chances of anything like that happening are so infintinitesimally small, put quite simply...it's not going to happen. I don't think that there is any realistic chance of catching something from a clip, it's just not likely at all.

I get small cuts all over my head from sensitive skin and I have never got an infection in one, never! Just take a deep breath and remind yourself that what's frightening you is just a thought, that doesn't make it reality, doesn't mean it's going to happen.

I suffer from anxiety on and off and every time I get stressed about something that 'might' happen, I write it down. When it doesn't happen I write down the actual outcome. What I fear and what happens is never the same. It could be a good exercise to help overcome the anxiety.

Are you seeing anyone to deal with your anxiety disorder? If not it might be worth speaking to a counsellor to get it in hand?

Neyite

any hairdresser that ive seen tosses those butterfly clips into the steriliser along with the combs/brushes.etc that they use.

LegacyUser

I feel a bit better now but still worried. And angry. It feels like I have a few scabs on my scalp, she really dug them into the skin, not just caught the skin a bit. It actually really hurts. Do hairdressers really sterilise the clips?

sexdwarf

Yeah defo, any decent hairdressers will sterilise their clips. Seriously don't worry, I get those little cuts on my head just from brushing and have never had a problem. They'll be healed and gone in a week, don't worry yourself about it, it'll be grand...promise!

LegacyUser

It wasn't a normal hairdressers, it was a training academy but a reputable one. I just did not trust the girl doing my hair at all. She was very young, acted like she didn't want to be there and didn't seem very trustworthy. I wish I'd walked out now. A cheap haircut was not worth all this mental stress. I have red scabs on my neck and my head is itchy now, so I'm wondering if I got head lice? Ugh.

sexdwarf

Well it's defo not headlice, you (and the hairdresser) would have seen them on the clip,they're pretty big (saw them on Embarrassing Illnesses...eek!). And the eggs couldn't be transferred from a clip to your hair. The only way to get them is when the adult lice climb directly from head to head.

I reckon you're overthinking this all. Your head will be itchy as the little cuts heal, that's all. Try not to overthink things and do remember that it's the anxiety talking and remember that they are only scary thoughts, it's not reality.

LegacyUser

Well the teacher was going around using the same comb on all the customers' hair (to check that the students were cutting it right) and that didn't seem very hygienic.