Narayana Health Care

Have you heard of the Beauty parlour stroke: An unknown type of stroke? What triggers it? How to prevent it?

A salon is where one goes to rejuvenate its mind and body. Most of us come out from the salon feeling physically and mentally relaxed.

But if someone tells you that salon may cause a stroke will you believe it?

The answer will be mostly no. But there is a condition called saloon stroke triggers in a saloon. Let’s discuss saloon stroke.

What is saloon stroke?

Beauty parlour or saloon stroke is a rare medical condition that may happen suddenly during a neck massage or manipulation. Sometimes these massages decrease the blood supply to the brain, causing a stroke and damaging some brain areas.

The word salon stroke recently came into the news when a woman developed nausea, dizziness, and vomiting during her hair wash session in the parlor; it was diagnosed as a stroke.

For most women, hair washing is a means of relaxation. Therefore it flabbergasted all people who considered hair wash as something harmless.

The term Beauty parlour syndrome was first used in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1993. Dr. Michael Weintraub used this term after he studied five women who developed stroke-like neurological symptoms after their shampoo sessions at hair salons. The women complaint of:

• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Facial numbness

As per the Guardian report published in 2016, four women out of these five had a stroke.

Beauty parlour stroke syndrome is also called hairdresser-related ischemic cerebrovascular event (HICE) or vertebral-basilar ischemia (VBI).

What is the cause of the beauty parlour stroke?

It may be due to:

• Cerebral artery dissection
• Vertebral artery compression

Both these conditions can happen due to faulty neck positioning and manipulation during a massage or hair wash session at the sink bowl in the hair salon.

The hair salon stroke may also be due to vertebrobasilar insufficiency:

• Resulting from sudden hyperextension or flexion of the neck during a hair wash session in the saloon
• Putting cold water on the neck
• Faulty massaging technique

In rare conditions, blood clot formation due to tear or dissection of the arteries at the base of the skull can cause a brain stroke.

Who is at more risk of developing a beauty parlour stroke?

Beauty parlour stroke can affect groups of people with pre-existing conditions such as:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Previous history of brain stroke
• Heart diseases
• Obesity
• History or heavy smokers

Is a beauty parlour stroke different from a regular stroke?

The Beauty Parlour stroke is different from other strokes as it originates due to pathology in neck vessels.

While most strokes are due to blood clots in major blood vessels, the beauty parlour stroke is most commonly due to wear and tear of blood vessels in the neck

Have you heard of the Beauty parlour stroke: An unknown type of stroke? What triggers it? How to prevent it?

A salon is where one goes to rejuvenate its mind and body. Most of us come out from the salon feeling physically and mentally relaxed.

But if someone tells you that salon may cause a stroke will you believe it?

The answer will be mostly no. But there is a condition called saloon stroke triggers in a saloon. Let’s discuss saloon stroke.

What is saloon stroke?

Beauty parlour or saloon stroke is a rare medical condition that may happen suddenly during a neck massage or manipulation. Sometimes these massages decrease the blood supply to the brain, causing a stroke and damaging some brain areas.

The word salon stroke recently came into the news when a woman developed nausea, dizziness, and vomiting during her hair wash session in the parlour; it was diagnosed as a stroke.

For most women, hair washing is a means of relaxation. Therefore it flabbergasted all people who considered hair wash as something harmless.

The term Beauty parlour syndrome was first used in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1993. Dr. Michael Weintraub used this term after he studied five women who developed stroke-like neurological symptoms after their shampoo sessions at hair salons. The women complaint of:

• Dizziness
• Loss of balance
• Facial numbness

As per the Guardian report published in 2016, four women out of these five had a stroke.

Beauty parlour stroke syndrome is also called hairdresser-related ischemic cerebrovascular event (HICE) or vertebral-basilar ischemia (VBI).

What is the cause of the beauty parlour stroke?

It may be due to:

• Cerebral artery dissection
• Vertebral artery compression

Both these conditions can happen due to faulty neck positioning and manipulation during a massage or hair wash session at the sink bowl in the hair salon.

The hair salon stroke may also be due to vertebrobasilar insufficiency:

• Resulting from sudden hyperextension or flexion of the neck during a hair wash session in the saloon
• Putting cold water on the neck
• Faulty massaging technique

In rare conditions, blood clot formation due to tear or dissection of the arteries at the base of the skull can cause a brain stroke.

Who is at more risk of developing a beauty parlour stroke?

Beauty parlor stroke can affect groups of people with pre-existing conditions such as:

• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Peripheral vascular disease
• Previous history of brain stroke
• Heart diseases
• Obesity
• History or heavy smokers

Is a beauty parlour stroke different from a regular stroke?

The Beauty Parlour stroke is different from other strokes as it originates due to pathology in neck vessels.

While most strokes are due to blood clots in major blood vessels, the beauty parlour stroke is most commonly due to wear and tear of blood vessels in the neck.

Is there a way to prevent a beauty parlour stroke?

Some of the precautions to prevent ourselves from the occurrence of a beauty parlour stroke are:

• Avoid sudden neck manipulation during the head wash
• Avoid excessive forceful massage in the salon
• Always use lukewarm water for washing the head
• People with pre-existing health conditions listed above should be extra cautious.

Beauty parlours or hair salons always give us a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. By following these simple tips, you can enhance your experience in the salon without contracting any severe medical conditions.

 

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Is there a way to prevent a beauty parlour stroke?

Some of the precautions to prevent ourselves from the occurrence of a beauty parlour stroke are:

• Avoid sudden neck manipulation during the head wash
• Avoid excessive forceful massage in the salon
• Always use lukewarm water for washing the head
• People with pre-existing health conditions listed above should be extra cautious.

Beauty parlours or hair salons always give us a sense of relaxation and rejuvenation. By following these simple tips, you can enhance your experience in the salon without contracting any severe medical conditions.

Dr. Amit Shrivastava, Senior Consultant – Neurology, Dharamshila Narayana Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi