NZhairdressers

New Zealand Social Network for Hairdressers (BETA)

Join the Community Today  or Create an account

Home News Latest News Carpal Tunnel, Hairdressers, Hand Health & Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
Carpal Tunnel, Hairdressers, Hand Health & Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI).
News - Latest
Written by Administrator   
YOUR HANDS ... as a hairstylist are criticle, you make your living with them! Even if you've been in the hairdressing business for a short time, you'll know that your profession is at risk from tendonitis, nerve damage and hairdressing carpal tunnel syndrome.
 
These injuries generally relate to jobs including hairdressing which require constant repetitive movement, hence the former name of the condition – Repetitive Strain Injury, (RSI).  “However, the definition has now been extended to include problems caused by static posture"
  • Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) develops over a period of time, many activities can be contributory.
  • Occupational Overuse Syndrome (OOS) is a term used for a range of conditions including injury, characterized by discomfort or persistent pain in muscles, tendons and other soft tissues. 
Tasks involving:
  • Repetitive strong movements; or
  • Holding sustained or constrained postures
  • For a hairdresser, repetative use of scissors
  • This can result in risks to the health and safety of stylists in the hairdressing industry. 
  • Injuries associated with these risks may be short and/or long term.

Common problems associated with cutting are:

Shoulder/Elbow  problems: caused from working with the arms held at or above shoulder level

Neck problems: caused by bending the head forward or turning to the side

Wrist problems: caused by gripping, repetitive or forceful movements.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 

The carpal tunnel is a narrow passageway in the wrist that is surrounded by bones and ligaments. Through it run tendons that move the fingers and a major nerve called the median nerve, which is responsible for both sensation and movement in the hand, thumb, index finger, middle finger and ring finger.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common disorder that affects the hand and wrist.  It occurs when the median nerve is compressed, causing changes in sensation, pain, and limiting the full use of the hand.  It most commonly occurs in women, with women aged between 30 and 60 years having the highest rates of the condition. CTS can affect either one or both hands.
 
Carpal tunnel hairdressers

Signs and Symptoms

The most common symptoms of carpal syndrome are numbness and tingling of the hand and fingers. Other symptoms may include:
  • Burning, prickly, pin-like sensations in the hand and fingers
  • Pain in the hand and fingers.  The pain may:
-  radiate from the hand to the forearm or shoulder 
-  be intermittent or constant 
-  worsen at night 
-  worsen with increased use of the hand
  • Weakened grip
  • Hand stiffness - particularly in the morning
  • A feeling of swelling in the fingers – even though they may not be visibly swollen
  • Wasting of the muscles in the hand can occur in long-term (chronic) cases
  • Causes
Any condition that causes swelling of the membranes or other contents of the carpal tunnel can lead to CTS. When the tissues of the carpal tunnel become swollen, pressure inside the carpal tunnel is increased. This causes the median nerve to be compressed. This is known as nerve entrapment.
 
Causes of CTS include
  • Any occupation or activity that involves repetitive movement of the hand and wrist.
  • Medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes and thyroid disorders.
  • Obesity.
  • Injury, such as a sprain or fracture of the wrist or forearm.
  • Hormonal changes that may occur during pregnancy, menopause or whilst taking oral contraceptives.
  • For a hairdresser, repetative use of scissors
Attention Hairdressers! You can greatly reduce the risk of OSS & CTS by ensuring the scissors you're using, (which is the most common cause of repetitive strain injury for a hairdresser) are not causing you long term damage or in time, forcing you out of the industry altogether.

Its important to insure your scissors have a proper fitting system. Each scissor should be "custom fitted" to the hairdressers thumb & finger size for perfect control. This eliminates stress on the wrists and tendons & custom fitted scissors that helps to stop them constantly sliding up and down the hairdressers thumb and finger.
 
In addition proper handle design aligns the nerves and tendons in the hand, virtually eliminating the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome & nerve damage caused by improperly fitted shears.

What you should be aware of when selecting your professional shear to avoid hairdressing carpal tunnel

Make sure you select the right weight and size
 
The shape and direction of the handles are a very important factor when selecting a shear. 
It's recommended hairdressers move towards the ergo shears (swivel) to eliminate awkward wrist position and allow easy movement.

Remember, improper alignment can affect your hands, fingers, back, neck, shoulders, and arms, causing life-long pain and discomfort! By selecting the right shear, you as a hairstylist will ensure your longevity in your chosen profession.

As you know your shears contributes to a significant part of your income.  With this in mind we have put together some handy hints, on how to maintain and extend the life and performance of your shears
 
Last Updated on Thursday, 03 December 2009 21:57
 

Newsletter

Friends & hairdressing industry peers you know. Latest hairstyle trends you follow, delivered FREE to your in-box
Your privacy & email address is 100% secure

Resources