Explained: Beauty parlour stroke syndrome

A hair wash session at a beauty parlour may sound like an ideal way to relax after a hectic week, but a recent trip to the salon almost turned fatal for a 50-year-old woman from Hyderabad. The incident came to light after the doctor treating the woman tweeted about the condition, elaborating that a key vessel supplying blood to her brain was pressed when she bent back her neck for the wash, causing the stroke, which is also known as beauty parlour stroke syndrome.
Dr Sudhir Kumar from Apollo Hospitals Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, in his Twitter thread shared, “I recently saw a 50-year-old woman with symptoms of dizziness, nausea & vomiting, which started during her hair wash with shampoo in a beauty parlor. Initially, she was taken to a gastroenterologist, who treated her symptomatically. Symptoms did not improve, the next day she developed mild imbalance while walking. She was referred for my opinion. She had mild right cerebellar signs. MRI brain revealed infarct in right posterior inferior cerebellar territory, MR angiogram showed left vertebral hypoplasia… (sic).”

‘Hyperextension of the neck cuts Oxygen supply to the brain’
“It is a rare condition that could happen to some people when their heads are turned backwards for a hair wash in a salon. The hyperextension of the neck causes either cerebral artery dissection or vertebral artery compression due to the neck positioning and manipulation over the hair salon sink bowl. This could lead to beauty parlour stroke, as the brain does not receive oxygen due to pressing of an artery,” shares Dr Madhukar Bhardwaj, Senior Neurologist, Aakash Healthcare Super Speciality Hospital, Dwarka. Dr Vinay Goyal, Director, Neurology, Institute of Neurosciences, Medanta, Gurgaon, adds, “The syndrome occurs when the neck is hyperextended as a result of a jerk or certain pressure while having your hair shampooed and remaining in that position for an extended period of time.”

‘It is a rare occurrence, but people should exercise caution’
Emphasising that the beauty parlour stroke syndrome is a very rare occurrence, Dr Vinay Goyal assures that there is no need to be unduly worried about the condition. “However, salon staff should exercise caution when washing hair of customers or giving them massages, especially the elderly. Customers should request gentle massages rather than vigorous ones to avoid putting too much pressure on the blood vessels, which might result in a stroke. In
addition, it is advised that if a person suffers from any recurring pain, they should consult a doctor instead of getting home massages. In this particular case, the patient is 50 years old and has controlled hypertension. Strokes become more common as we age due to a variety of causes, such as a blocked artery or leaking or bursting of a blood vessel and some additional risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure (hypertension), obesity, high cholesterol levels, diabetes, and excessive alcohol consumption,” he explains.

‘Don’t extend your neck by more than 20 degrees, support nape with a towel’
Hair washing, vigorous neck massage, hair transplant done by someone who’s not technically qualified, chin lifting and cosmetic treatment could all potentially lead to people suffering from a stroke in the salon, says Dr Rohit Gupta, Chairman, Neurosciences, Accord Super Speciality Hospital, Faridabad.
Highlighting the points that people should keep in mind, the doctor adds, “Salons must have medically trained staff. In case a person is suffering from hypertension or any other underlying health issue, they should inform the staff at the salon and also avoid treatments that can aggravate any underlying health issues.” So should people avoid hair wash at salons altogether? “If you want to pamper yourself with a hair wash, remember to not extend your neck by more than 20 degrees. Also, keep a rolled towel at the nape of the neck during the head wash,” suggests Dr Madhukar Bhardwaj.