A 48-year-old California woman almost died from a massive stroke after having a 10-minute hair wash at a salon. The hairdresser sink was regarded as the culprit behind this salon-derived ailment known as the beauty parlor stroke syndrome.
Mirror reports that Elizabeth Smith visited the salon in December 2013 and had her hair shampooed. A week after her visit, her left arm and leg started feeling weak, which she didn't know was already a sign of an impending stroke. Within seven days, she suffered a massive stroke.
According to doctors, the hairdresser sink was the indirect cause of her stroke as it was primarily her head's position that should be blamed. The beauty parlor stroke syndrome might have occurred when Smith's neck was bent back when her hair was being shampooed, which caused her vertebrae to slice an artery. This then formed a clot, and eventually led to a stroke.
Smith said, "I vomited, my head became hot and I couldn't stand. I had weakness in my arms and legs. They didn't think I was going to live." Because of the incident, she is now suing the California salon as its staff failed to take the necessary precaution not to overextend her neck.
One vascular surgeon, Peter Gloviczki, said that beauty parlor stroke syndrome is caused when there's a tear, clot or injury in an artery that leads to the brain. The hyper-extension of the neck is the leading cause of this ailment.
While all these may seem worrisome, try not to worry too much because this is a rare occurrence. Daily Mail says that you can simply ask the hairdresser to adjust the sink, so that your neck will not overextend and trigger beauty parlor stroke syndrome.
After more than two years from the stroke, Smith still experiences loss of vision and dizziness, but she has already gone back to work. She said that she is suing the salon so as to bring awareness to all regarding the risks associated with misuse of hairdresser sinks and the beauty parlor stroke syndrome. Will this hinder you from going to the salon? We'd love to hear what you think about this in the comments section below.
