REALLY bad hair day

Nurses General Nursing

Published

A woman visiting a patient of mine last week had the strangest thing going on with her hair. The front was cut very short but looked kind of normal. The back, however, was past her shoulder and appeared to be formed into a loaf shape, was matted, looked like it was mixed with grease, pieces of flesh, and dirt. The smell took my breath! Even with the door closed, people walking down the hall would comment on the smell. I wondered if there was a tumor or something underneath all that mess, but could not get a good enough look. I have smelled many foul things, but this was the worst by far. The woman looked clean enough, though. Everyone on staff that saw it said the same thing...."what the heck is that???". Any ideas? Have any of you seen and smelled anything like this?

Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
No, I have not found out what it was, although I still have nightmares about it getting on me! Sometimes, when I go in that same room to see a patient, I think I can still smell it...yikes. The links posted both had some similarities, although the terrible stench cannot be conveyed online..and aren't you glad?!?!:eek:

Sounds like the basis for a pretty decent horror movie, though. It would be like "the BLOB" only a giant Wal-Mart dread or a bezoar and get bigger and bigger as it consumes -- I don't know-- hair gel? Specimens from the forensics lab? I'd hate to see that sucker coming down the street. :barf01::barf01::barf01::barf01::barf01:

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