Wet Hair Don't Care?

[2BRN123]

So I'm a curly girl (very). I'll soon be starting clinicals and would like to avoid even having this discussion with my professors unless I have to.

As many curly haired people know, there is a fine line (often dictated by a .10 point change in barometric pressure or wind direction) between having beautiful springy curls and looking like a bat-**** crazy bag lady.

Now, many of my curly haired brethren rely on air drying their hair (which for me can take anywhere for 1 - 8 hours lol).

Is it totally unprofessional to show up to work in a medical setting with wet or partially wet hair? Is that allowed? Unsafe?

There is a long discussion about this on a naturally curly hairstyle site I participate in, but most of the discussion is focused on office jobs, which doesn't really apply to this type of work, so I figured I'd ask here!

[xlovehappyx]

I haven't been to any clinicals but if your damp hair is in a bun, the dampness probably isn't too noticeable right? I have curly hair too and have gotten away with that in professional environments ^_^

[Jory, MSN, APRN, CNM]

Showing up to class with wet hair is no big deal in college...in a professional environment, it is unacceptable. Clinicals is a professional environment.

If you have naturally curly hair that is difficult to manage, most people I know that have it, because of the time it takes to manage, do not wash it every day. I would wash it right after class on the days you need to so it has time to dry before you go to clinicals the next day.

[jadelpn, LPN, EMT-B]

Most clinicals are clear in their desire to have one's long hair up and off the collar. So from one curly girl to another, plan on wetting your hair in your a.m. shower, but washing it with your pm shower, as when it is in a bun all day, it won't be dry--and it will have that wet hair all day aroma....

Or wear a shower cap in the morning, and save shampooing and wet hair for after work. But if it is up, you really can't tell it is wet....

[amygarside]

Whether your hair is damp or not, I think it's always encouraged to put your hair in a bun so as to look professional, especially if it's long.

[RNperdiem, RN]

If drying takes 1-8 hrs depending on humidity, maybe it is time to get some tools to speed up the drying process.

I don't think showing up in hair that is obviously wet looks professional. I would give a pass for barely damp bun, but otherwise dry your hair before showing up.

[Good Morning, Gil]

lol, this made me laugh. I have curly hair, as well, and wear it partially wet sometimes (if I'm wearing it down) since I let it air dry with mousse in it. I think you'll find that if you have long hair, you'll want it up in a pony tail. Hot isolation gowns, and hair just gets in the way if it's down. I didn't use to have curly hair, which is weird. Just sort of changed spontaneously lol, but it's so much easier to care for than my crappy wavy/go everywhere hair that I had before lol.

Best of luck!

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

While not a 'curly' girl...actually I'm as far from curly as one can get..but anyway..

My hair is very long and very thick...takes F O R E V E R to air dry..heck it takes forever to dry with a hair dryer. During clinicals I wore my hair up per school rules and the general ECK! factor of the thought of my hair danging down into someones wound, peri-area etc. I'd shower and throw my hair up in a bun while it was wet. No one ever said anything other than "you're hair smells SO good!". I'd shower at around 4am and take my hair down at around 5 or 6pm and my hair was STILL wet!

When I work, I shower right before I go...and I still put my towel dried hair up in a bun. Unless someone touches my hair they'd have no idea is semi-wet/damp. Everyone just thought my hair was darker than it really is LOL. No one realized my hair was lighter until I stopped in one day with my hair down and dry

I think it would be fine as long as your hair isn't down and/or dripping wet. If its up who is to know if its wet/damp or dry.

[scabby21]

I agree that if your hair is still wet it not that big of a deal. I do not have curly hair, but my hair is very long (down to my lower back) and very thick. It takes over 30 minutes to dry my hair on a good day. And most days I dont want to. All throughout school and clinicals i would shower right before and let my hair air dry on the way to clinicals then put it up in a bun or something to that effect. No one ever said anything about my hair being wet, they always thought it smelled really good. I would always take it down when i got home at night and it would still be wet. I even cut my hair off short and it still took forever to dry, so the bun it was.

I now work at a clinic and still do not dry my hair. No one says anything about it now either. If it was dripping wet i think it would be unprofessional, but Im sure that you know better than that.

Good luck!

[Nolli]

ditto what CT Pixie said. If you have it up in a bun it is perfectly fine, but down and damp doesn't go over well. You'll want it up for clinical anyway so no issue there.

[blackandyellow]

I have the same problem. I usually shower the night before a clinical and put my hair in a bun to sleep with so it doesn't get too unruly. In the morning my hair is still a little damp but I put a ton of frizz gel in it and put my hair in a bun or pony tail for clinicals.

[neverbethesame]

I've seen female Residents with their hair up in a bun and clearly damp.