Hair-grooming syncope
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
Hair-grooming syncope (also known as hair-combing syncope) is a form of syncope (a fainting disorder) associated with combing and brushing one's hair. It is most typically seen in children aged five to sixteen.
Hair-grooming syncope typically manifests as presyncopal symptoms during hair combing, brushing, braiding, trimming, curling, or blow drying.[1][2] These symptoms are followed by loss of consciousness and convulsions.[2] Migraines, abdominal pain, "feeling funny" or blurred vision may also occur before or after seizures.[1][3] Possible causes of the condition include pain or nerve stimulation on the scalp (similar to parade-ground syncope), or compression of blood vessels or nerves resulting from neck flexion or extension.[2] A 2009 study identified 111 pediatric cases of hair-grooming syncope in the United States, almost three-quarters of which were in female patients; that study found that the condition is most associated with hair cutting in males and brushing in females.[4]
Hair-grooming syncope may be misdiagnosed as epilepsy, but is better described as a "paroxysmal non-epileptic event".[1] It may also be related to orthostatic hypotension.[3] The condition is not associated with heart abnormalities.[5]
This form of syncope is a possible explanation for hair-brushing syndrome, an extremely rare condition in which static electricity is said to interrupt brain or organ function.[6] Only two cases of hair-brushing syndrome have been reported worldwide, one of which garnered media attention in 2011 when the Daily Mail announced that hair brushing could cause death.[7][8]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Riviello, James J. (NaN undefined NaN). "Hair-braiding and combing-induced syncope: A paroxysmal nonepileptic event". Journal of Epilepsy. 6 (2): 115–117. doi:10.1016/S0896-6974(05)80099-4. Unknown parameter
|coauthors=ignored (help); Check date values in:|date=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lewis, Donald; Frank, L. Matthew (1993). "Hair-grooming syncope seizures". Pediatrics. 91 (4): 836&ndash, 838.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Igarashi, Masanori. "Syncope associated with hair-grooming". Brain and Development. 10 (4): 249–251. doi:10.1016/S0387-7604(88)80006-8. Unknown parameter
|coauthors=ignored (help) - ↑ Evans, W. N. (1 July 2009). "Hair-Grooming Syncope in Children". Clinical Pediatrics. 48 (8): 834–836. doi:10.1177/0009922809339204. Unknown parameter
|coauthors=ignored (help) - ↑ "Fainting by Follicle". Pediatrics for Parents. 26 (3): 1. March 2010.
- ↑ "For this girl, brushing her hair could be life-threatening". Huffington Post. 23 August 2011.
- ↑ Barnes, Julie-Anne (18 August 2011). "Brush with death". Daily Mail.
- ↑ "Teen with rare condition could die from brushing hair". Fox News. 18 August 2011.