Do you want to know if hairdressers get carpal tunnel? The answer is yes. They get it. Anyone who is professional hairdressing and styling is at significant risk of contracting this disease. Carpal tunnel syndrome is roughly five times more common in this industry than in the general population.
The following discussion focuses on carpal tunnel syndrome, how to avoid it as a hairstylist, and other topics related to it.
Carpal tunnel syndrome and hairstylists
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which your hand feels numb, tingly, or weak. Another name of this syndrome is median nerve compression. It occurs as a result of pressure on your median nerve. Here, it spans the length of your arm, passing through the carpal tunnel in your wrist. This syndrome terminates in your hand.
Symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome:
Numbness in your palm and thumb, or your index and middle fingers, that is burning, tingling, or itching.
Hand tremors and difficulty holding objects.
Feelings of shock.
A tingling sensation.
The carpal tunnel syndrome in a hairstylist:
Carpal tunnel syndrome is an occupational hazard for hairstylists. In fact, in the styling industry, it’s almost a bad joke. It’s also very usual for severe hand discomfort, numbness, or weakness to put a stylist’s career on hold. Professional hairdressers or stylists perform one thing, and they do it well.
That is, they utilize shears and grasp utensils like combs and brushes regularly. To put it another way, their fingers and hands are constantly moving. Using shears is particularly hard on the thumb. The thumb performs rapid and open-close motions, putting enormous strain on tendons. When holding an object, the thumb also contributes the majority of the force. These are the seeds of carpal tunnel syndrome’s development.
How to prevent carpal tunnel as a hairdresser?
There are various risk factors of carpal tunnel. But through some processes and exercises, this syndrome is prevented. If you have this syndrome, your treatments may include medication, immobilization, and surgery. However, if you don’t have this syndrome and are likely to have carpal tunnel, you must know some preventive measures.
The following discussion focuses on the preventive measures of carpal tunnel as a hairdresser:
Straighten your wrists.
Keep your wrist in a neutral posture using a splint or brace.
Done flex and extend your wrists repeatedly.
Warm-up your hands.
Take a break.
Make sure your hands and wrists are in the proper position.
Train your non-dominant hand to take on some of the load.
Maintain a well-balanced diet.
Make an appointment with a therapist to receive hand massages.
Try the following stretch:
Place your fingertips on the table’s edge.
Gently press down, stretching the finger muscles.
Lower your elbows and press again, this time stretching your wrist muscles.
Repeat three times more, each time holding for 3-4 seconds.
Return your hands to their usual positions, then place your thumb on the table’s edge.
Gently press down and roll your thumb to the side.
Do hairstylists get carpal tunnel?
A hairstylist is a professional who cuts and styles people’s hair. They advise on appropriate haircuts, colors, and treatments and also to correct hair products. They wash, condition, trim, color, and style hair while keeping up with current trends, hairstyles, and equipment.
A hairstylist may have the chance to get carpal tunnel syndrome. As we have seen, their works are mainly involved with the movement of their hands. So it’s natural that they might get carpal tunnel syndrome.
For most hairstylists, a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome entails surgery. If you have carpal tunnel surgery on your dominant hand, the recovery duration can take up to 6 months. However, not every hairstylist can afford it. As a result, some preventative actions are possible.
Maybe the pain, numbness, tingling, or weakness in your hand or fingers is just getting started. Or perhaps these signs and symptoms are already severe. Stretching exercises are the best thing a stylist can do right now, in either case.
Stretching exercises alone can help to alleviate the symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome, whether mild or moderate. However, there is a catch: you must take a half-hour break to complete them.
They don’t take long to make, perhaps a minute in total. Hairstylists need to perform the exercises regularly. They can set a timer to make sure they don’t forget to exercise.
Do barbers get carpal tunnel?
Barbers are experts at cutting men’s hair, both on their heads and on their faces. Traditionally, a barber would shave the neck and face expertly. Barbers, like the snap-brim hat and waistcoat, have mainly faded into obscurity in recent years. Nonetheless, a barber who offers a wide range of cuts, including them, can be found.
Barbers are prone to carpal tunnel syndrome. Their job, like that of hairstylists, is primarily done with their hands. This syndrome is the result of the repeated usage of hands and movement. They can, however, prevent this syndrome by doing some activities.
Some core exercises to prevent this syndrome as barbers:
Core exercise 1: To begin, extend your arm straight in front of you with your fingers pointing up as if you were shouting “stop.” Pull your raised fingers backward with your other hand. After that, hold for 5 seconds before releasing. Repeat with the other arm. Then, with both hands at your sides, shake them out for a couple of seconds.
Core exercise 2: To begin, join your hands in a prayer position near your chest. Make an upward motion with your fingers. Slowly raise your elbows, but not your shoulders, while maintaining your palms pushed together. In your forearms, feel the stretch. Hold for 5 seconds, then let go and wring your hands out.
Core exercise 3: To begin, press your opposing thumb into your wrist, just below the wrist crease. After that, rub that area for 5-10 seconds in a circular and side-to-side motion. Then, move your thumb 2 inches down near your elbow and repeat. After that, move another 2 inches and repeat the process.
We hope you found our article about carpal tunnel syndrome, how to avoid it as a hairstylist, and other topics related to it helpful. This occupation is well-known for having a significant chance of obtaining this painful syndrome. However, several excellent core exercises can help relieve symptoms and even reverse this syndrome. However, to be successful, you must commit to doing these exercises regularly during your workweek.
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