Wet Hair Don't Care?

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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!

Specializes in Psych.

I pull my hair up in a pony tail as soon as I get out of the shower. There are times when I leave work that when I pull it down it is still somewhat damp.

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Specializes in Psych ICU, addictions.

I agree with the majority: if it's wet and loose, it's a no-no. If it's wet and tied back, it's more acceptable.

And to be honest, most clinical instructors/sites are going to require that you wear your hair tied back or otherwise out of the face anyway.

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Another curly girl here. I wash and gel my hair the afternoon before, so that it is dry before bed. Then just get it a little damp in the morning, and put some good hard hold hair gel (Biosilk Rock Hard Gelee works great, you don't need much) mixed with a little water to put it in a ponytail, and smooth down the frizzies. I also have a diffuser if the humidity is up, and my hair does not want to dry.

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Hey all thanks for the advices! Problems though. The idea of a bun is great and all but my hair is not even close to long enough for such a contraption. So there goes that. Curly or straight, its still above my collar. About an inch or two shorter than Rachel True's in this pictar:

http://i2.listal.com/image/1146944/600full-rachel-true.jpg

Also for those who are familiar with hairtyping, I'm a mixed ethnicity, mostly 3c some 3b. "Second Day Hair" does not exist for me. If I slept on my hair and showed up to work I'd look worse than if I had come with it wet.

I'm a religious headbander and have probably close to 10,000 bobby pins in my house currently for curly hair styling, but it really just looks like garbage when I diffuse it or sleep on it.

Guess I'll be flatironing :(

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.
Hey all thanks for the advices! Problems though. The idea of a bun is great and all but my hair is not even close to long enough for such a contraption. So there goes that. Curly or straight, its still above my collar. About an inch shorter than rachel true's in this pictar:

http://i2.listal.com/image/1146944/600full-rachel-true.jpg

Also for those who are familiar with hairtyping, I'm a mixed ethnicity, mostly 3c some 3b. "Second Day Hair" does not exist for me. If I slept on my hair and showed up to work I'd look worse than if I had come with it wet.

Guess I'll be flatironing :(

I'm the same way - mixed ethnicity and lots of spiral curls, and no, there's not such thing as second day hair unless it involves an updo. I would love to have short hair, but I only wash once a week or so, so being able to put it up is a necessity.

Maybe you could straightening it the night before clinicals so you wouldn't have to wash it the next morning, just touch it up a bit? My hair is midway down my back and I get Brazilian Blowouts so my hair dries super quickly now, and I can always put it up if it doesn't or blow dry it straight in about 10 minutes (down from 90 minutes of blow drying and flat ironing without the Brazilian!)

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I haven't read the other posts yet. I have longish curvy (curly/wavy) hair. I don't have time to blow dry my hair when I have to be at clinicals at 6 am! I throw it up in a bun and no one has ever said anything. It's always neat looking and off my collar.

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I'm the same way - mixed ethnicity and lots of spiral curls, and no, there's not such thing as second day hair unless it involves an updo. I would love to have short hair, but I only wash once a week or so, so being able to put it up is a necessity.

Glad you can relate! I'm thinking flatironing the night before is the only option, which stinks because I like being a curly and don't want to chemically process it! Better grow this stuff out by the time I start working so I can bun-it.

Also don't want any readers here to think I'm so shallow as to write about my hair on a nursing forum. It's just that, having "unmanageable" hair really integrates itself into your life. I know many a curly from my curly forum that spend hours (yes hours) a day making their hair look presentable so they can adhere to the professional standards of others.

I'm trying to avoid having to be that person ^

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Specializes in Geriatrics, retirement, home care..

Your clinical professor will let you know about dress code and uniform policy prior to being placed at the facility/hospital. At my clinical placements, we had to have hair completely pulled back (no bangs hanging!) or we would be considered to be out of uniform. As long as your hair is tied back, I don't think it will matter if it is wet or dry. I think it really depends on your school policy.As for classes, no one cares if you go to class with wet hair.

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Specializes in CCU, SICU, CVSICU, Precepting & Teaching.

I'm a 2b (wavy), and you may run across me on curltalk.com. About a year ago, I decided to stop straightening and let my hair do it's own thing, and it's so much healthier! About nursing school -- the bun idea is probably the best idea. Or wash it in the afternoon and "pineapple" it overnight.

Once you're through school and have a job, you'll be able to come to work with wet hair. I get up at 4:45, shower and wet or wash my hair and scrunch it. Then walk/feed/play with the dog and get ready for work. My hair isn't totally dry by 7 when I get to work, but is usually dry enough to scrunch out the crunch by 8. In the winter, I'll speed the process along a bit by drying with a diffuser for 3-5 minutes. Including the years I paid for perms to wear my hair curly (wish I had known then that my hair would curl on it's own!), I've been coming to work with wet hair for 20 or 25 years. No one has ever said anything to me about it, and I've always gotten the highest marks on "professional appearance" on my evals.

I can't do buns or pony tails -- my hair isn't long enough or thick enough. Now if anyone comes up with a nice way to wear their curly hair to a job interview, I'd love to hear it!

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Specializes in Forensic Psych.

Glad you can relate! I'm thinking flatironing the night before is the only option, which stinks because I like being a curly and don't want to chemically process it! Better grow this stuff out by the time I start working so I can bun-it.

Also don't want any readers here to think I'm so shallow as to write about my hair on a nursing forum. It's just that, having "unmanageable" hair really integrates itself into your life. I know many a curly from my curly forum that spend hours (yes hours) a day making their hair look presentable so they can adhere to the professional standards of others.

I'm trying to avoid having to be that person ^

Yes, I think growing it out might be the best solution while you're still in school. Then you can wash it at night and and secure it and it'll be somewhat dryish in the morning but your curls will still be intact!

I like being a curly, too. :) You're right though, the hair stress can be high when you have to meet blanket standards. I struggled with the decision to process my hair, but in the end I'm glad I did. I don't have time to fight with it right now...my curls are still intact but it dries super fast, has zero frizz, and I can straighten it in a flash. I'm hooked. :)

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I'm a 2b (wavy), and you may run across me on curltalk.com. About a year ago, I decided to stop straightening and let my hair do it's own thing, and it's so much healthier! About nursing school -- the bun idea is probably the best idea. Or wash it in the afternoon and "pineapple" it overnight.

Once you're through school and have a job, you'll be able to come to work with wet hair. I get up at 4:45, shower and wet or wash my hair and scrunch it. Then walk/feed/play with the dog and get ready for work. My hair isn't totally dry by 7 when I get to work, but is usually dry enough to scrunch out the crunch by 8. In the winter, I'll speed the process along a bit by drying with a diffuser for 3-5 minutes. Including the years I paid for perms to wear my hair curly (wish I had known then that my hair would curl on it's own!), I've been coming to work with wet hair for 20 or 25 years. No one has ever said anything to me about it, and I've always gotten the highest marks on "professional appearance" on my evals.

I can't do buns or pony tails -- my hair isn't long enough or thick enough. Now if anyone comes up with a nice way to wear their curly hair to a job interview, I'd love to hear it!

.

As for the job interviews... Every serious job interview I've ever been on, I've had my hair professionally styled beforehand. LOL, ITS LIKE THAT. People are not always hep to the jive on how the whole curly styling process works so I just cut the crap and go to a pro.

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I suggest skipping the morning shower and taking one when you get home. As long as you took one the day before and you use deodorant, you aren't going to be smelly enough for anybody to notice. Plus, when you come home from clinicals you are going to have been exposed to all kinds of new germs that you just don't want to take home. So come home and shower right away, and then you will have several awake (probably to finish your paperwork) hours to let your hair air dry before bed.

Regardless of if you wash your hair or not, I really really really do suggest taking a shower the moment you get home.

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