?? for long-haired female nurses/student! How do you wear your hair at the hospital?

Published

Silly question I know. I'm starting nursing school this month, and I have long hair (past shoulder length) and I'm assuming I can't wear it down in the hospital. The thing is (not to be vain), I look better with my hair down, and I don't want to cut it. Half of my hair up and rest down is probably not acceptable either?

So how do you all wear your hair? I was thinking a low ponytail.....blaaah boring. Maybe I'll get some side sweeping bangs to make it look more interesting.

congratulations on starting nursing school! :balloons:getting accepted is half the battle! (well, maybe a little less than half!)

the previous posters have given some great advice. check with your school though, mine strictly regulates everything! can not touch collar, no excessive accessories, all hair accessories must be a neutral color to blend in with natural hair tone (no kidding - specified in our hand book under dress code).

i had mid back length hair when i started and have recently cut it to a few inches below the shoulders and i wear mine in a bun. i know, i look like an old maid with it in a bun, but it does stay out of the bed pans, emesis basins, and wounds!

good luck in school!

_________________

graduating in december 2007!

thanks for the congrats! i'm excited, but a little scared. it's an Accelerated BSN program so the acceleration doesn't sound like fun.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

i have long hair and when i was in skool i had it in a pony tail and my bangs were always bobbi pinned up bc i didnt want to have to fuss with my bangs begin in the way or any bugs and microbes getting on my har.. plus i get hot and sweat easily.. but if ya wanna still look cute, try different styles.. i did.. i did the princess leah look from start wars, i did pig tails..

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med Surg, Hospice.

Mine doesn't hit my shoulders, so I'm safe on the school end of things, but on the floor, I usually pull it back because I get so hot bathing patients in isolation and having to wear those Godawful isolation gowns. Sometimes I'll put one side in a comb and let the other side lay the way it is.. and other times I pull my sides into a ponytail and then put the remaining in it's own separate ponytail.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

my hair is quite long.

i twist my hair then clip it on top of my head.

it takes me a minute to do.

it stays neat and off my face/neck.

i seldom wear a pony tail.

maybe if i knew how to french braid...

leslie

Up Vote Up Vote ×

Like I said, I'm not vain, just try to look my best.

Taking your answers in consideration and trying on my uniform which I got today (yaaay), I've decided I'm gonna do a semi ponytail/ bun not too high up, not too low, and then get a very thin headband. Probably a black or brown one to blend in with my hair, and maybe a white one! That would be cute.

Here is my inspiration:

http://img2.timeinc.net/people/i/2006/stylechannel/trends_beauty/061106/sandra_bullock_400.jpg

Up Vote Up Vote ×

OOH OOH I can help you with that one!! I used to be a stylist and sometimes that still comes in handy. Those thin headbands are great, and look good double or tripled up, too. The best ones I've used (lots of photo stylist use this trick) are cut from opaque tights - about a 2" or 3" band from the thigh. They have grip so they dont slip off, and they stretch to the perfect snugness. Plus they're like free if you have old tights, or just buy some tights at the $.99 store.

As far as hair down, I mentioned on a similar thread about an ED nurse freind who was hurt pretty badly by a very large, very disoriented pt who picked her up off the floor -like feet dangling off the floor - by a handful of hair. She lost a good chunk of hair and some scalp, too. She always wears a snug bun thing now, or two buns kind of where low pigtails would sit. It's cute, and she ties it up with cute ribbons that match her scrubs.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Staff nurse.

Has anyone considered shaving her head? Both my sons shave and look so good. I am so-o-o tempted, esp. since I work on a med/oncology floor. But DH says NO-O-O!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.

I've shaved my head before - it was sooooooooooooooooooo freeing. I also loved the way it felt.

I've been trying to teach myself how to style my long hair so I don't do it again :lol2: (I'm a GN, I feel I have very little leeway to do such things). Ohhhhh to have my fuzzy head...

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Med-Surg/Tele, ER.

Oh yeah I suppose I could also be helpful. Since I have been trying to learn ways to pull back my hair (aside from standard ponytail, which I am SO BORED with), I have some links which might help:

http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=22

http://intimelyfashion.com/hair/gibson2.htm

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Has anyone considered shaving her head? Both my sons shave and look so good. I am so-o-o tempted, esp. since I work on a med/oncology floor. But DH says NO-O-O!

omg, no! very few craniums should be viewed bare...most of us aren't that flawless!....

Up Vote Up Vote ×

to Athena: Whatever your school mandates (or recommends, same thing!) is what you'll do. My own school had a not-past-the-shoulders requirement for hair that was pulled up already (as in ponytail). ALL hair had to be pulled up so that the lowest part was above the shoulders. If it was longer than that, you'd better clip it up again. I did cut mine a fair amount while in school (less headaches!), and then clipped it or ponytailed it up the rest of the way.

My hair is always up now. I used to keep it so that it could swing to my shoulders but you know what? After seeing the gross stuff that can get stuck on free-flying hair, LOL....mine is blissfully OUT of range. Unless someone pees directly on my head, lol....and at that point, baby, I'm going off the clock anyway!

Up Vote Up Vote ×

One more thought, after scanning through this thread: whatever you do, please use a professional look. While pigtails may be cute on a child, they don't exactly convey "professional healthcare provider" if you're dealing with the adult population! And particularly if you're young (or young-looking), you may have to go the extra step to NOT look like a teenie-bopper when in clinicals.

Choose a french braid. Choose a braid clipped back in on itself. Choose a bun, or a twist, or a ponytail (neat, not fuzzed out and pink like I saw on my 15-year old babysitter one day).

May not seem fair, but your very first appearance to someone (just like Mom said!) is the most important. If you don't look like you belong there, why should your patients think you do?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Join the Discussion