Hair care

1. HAIR CARE
KALPANA SHEE
LECTURER, SUM NURSING COLLEGE
SIKSHA 'O' ANUSANDHAN
(DEEMED TO BE UNIVERSITY)

2.  The appearance of one’s hair and the skin reflects the
general health of a person.
 Cleanliness of hair is essential for good hygiene.
 Cleaning the scalp by brushing and shampooing will help
to relieve the dandruff.
 There are three aspects to the care of hair.
• Daily care by brushing and combing.
• Shampooing the hair in order to maintain its
cleanliness.

3.  A person’s appearance and feeling of well-being usually
depends on the way the hair looks and feels.
 Normally, hair and scalp are neither dry nor oily.
 The general health of a person affects the growth of hair.
 The loss of hair (alopecia) can result from improper
practices of hair care.

4. PURPOSES
1. To maintain the hair clean and healthy.
2. To give a sense of well-being.
3. To prevent hair loss and promote growth.
4. To prevent accumulation of dust, dandruff and oil.
5. To stimulate circulation of blood.
6. To observe the scalp.
7. To prevent or treat pediculi.
8. To prevent itching and infection.

5. Nurse’s Responsibility in the
Daily Care of Hair
 Preliminary Assessment
1. Check the physician’s order to see the specific precautions for
the client’s movement and positioning.
2. Assess the general condition of the client and the ability for
self care.
3. Assess the condition of scalp and hair.
4. Assess the client’s mental state to follow directions.
5. Check the articles available in the client’s unit.

6. Preparation of the Articles for
Brushing and Combing
Clean towels (2)
Articles Purpose

7. Clean comb with coarse and fine teeth.

8. Kidney tray with carbolic lotion 1:20 or Dettol 1:40.

9. Oil in a container

10. Paper bag

11. One apron

12. Preparation of the Patient
Explain procedure to the patient.
1. If possible, let the patient sit on a chair/stool.
2. Place one towel over the shoulders of patient or give
fowler’s position on the bed.
3. Place one towel over the bed linen and pillow, and the
other over the shoulders
of the patient to protect the
bottom sheet as well as the
patient’s clothes respectively.

13. Steps of the Procedure
1. To brush/comb properly, part the hair into two sections
and then separate each section into two more sections.
Parting of hair allows for easy brushing of smaller sections
of hair.
2. Brushing/comb the hair from the scalp towards the hair
ends.
3. If tangles are present, the nurse uses the fingers to
separate a small lock of hair, grasps it firmly near the scalp
and combs the loose end of the lock. This prevents painful
pulling of the scalp during combing.

15. 4. Application of oil or moistening the hair.
5. Tangles may be cut off only with the written consent of
the patient.
6. Combs one side at a time.
7. Discard the loose hair into the paper bag and lice into
the lotion.

16. After care

17. Hair shampooing
Articles
1. A pair of gloves.
2. Bath towels-2.
3. Wash cloth or face towel.
4. Bath blanket-1.
5. Mackintosh.
6. Cotton balls and gauge pieces in a bowel.
7. Oil.

18. 8. Shampoo or liquid soap.
9. Hair comb.
10. A kidney tray and paper bag.
11. Basin-1, Mug-1.
12. Bucket-1.
13. Jug-2.
14. Low tool.
15. Clean linen (bed linen and garments).

19. Steps of procedure
 Wash hands with soap and water.
 Brush and comb hair.
 Give positioning.
 Mix hot and cold water.
 With mug, pour water slowly over hair until it is completed
wet. Apply a small amount of shampoo.
 Using both hands. Starts at hair line and work towards the
back of neck.

20.  Lifts head slightly with one hand to wash the back side of head.
 Massage scalp by applying pressure with finger tips.
 Clean hair with water and make sure that hair is free of shampoo.
 Wrap the head in a towel. Dry face, dry hair and scalp. Second
towel can be used if required.
 Remove the towel and place it in the basin.
 Discard the cotton plugs used in the ears into the paper bag.
Steps of procedure continue…..

21. Pediculosis Capitis
 Pediculosis capitis, also known as head lice, are tiny
insects that are found on the human scalp. This
problem mainly affects children.

22. Causes
 Pediculosis capitis or head lice can easily be caused by
active infestation from another person with head lice.
 The children are mainly affected as they can come in
contact while playing or at school.

23.  Pediculosis capitis may also be caused by indirect infestation
through:
 Brushes and combs
 Hats and scarves
 Hair accessories
 Pillows
 Headphones
 Upholstery
 Towels

24. Symptoms
 The symptoms of lice infestation are not visible in the first two to
six weeks, but some of the common signs and symptoms are:
 Continuous itching in the scalp, neck and ears.
 Visibility of lice on the scalp.
 Lice eggs on hair shafts.
 The lice can only be spotted around the ears or near the
hairline of the neck. Medical care should be taken immediately if
suspected of the above symptoms.

25. Diagnosis
 The best way to diagnose an active infestation is by identifying a
live nymph or an adult louse.
 The doctor normally recommends examining the lice in wet hair.
 On carefully combing the hair using a fine-toothed comb, the
lice can be seen.
 The combing process will be repeated several times until all the
lice are removed.

26. Treatment
 The doctors usually recommend an over-the-counter (OTC)
treatment that is helpful in removing the lice from the scalp.
 OTC treatment is based on pyrethrin, which is toxic to lice.
 The doctors will recommend washing the hair with shampoo
before taking these treatments.
 In some cases, if OTC treatments are not successful, the doctors
may also recommend, one of the following:
 Benzyl alcohol treatment for children above 6 months of age
 Malathion, a medicated shampoo for children above 6 years of
age
 Lindane shampoo treatment

27.  Permethrin 1% It was introduced for the first time in the
year 1986 as a scheduled topical agent. ...
 Malathion 0.5% ...
 Lindane 1% ...
 Permethrin 5% (Permite) ...
 Crotamiton 10% ...
 Oral ivermectin. ...
 Sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. ...
 Benzyl alcohol 5%