Providing Hair Care for Clients

Purpose:
- To stimulate the blood circulation to the scalp
- To distribute hair oils & provide a healthy sheen
- To increase the clients comfort
- To assess or monitor hair or scalp problem.

Equipment:
- Clean brush & comb
- A wide tooth comb
- Towel
- Hair oil preparation

Procedure:
1. Introduce self.
2. Perform hand hygiene & other appropriate infection control procedures.
3. Provide privacy
4. Position & prepare client appropriately
- Assist the client who can sit to move to a chair. – Hair is more easily brushed & combed when the client is in a sitting position. If health permits assist a client confined to a bed to a sitting position by raising the head of the bed. Otherwise assist the client to alternate side-lying position & do one side of the head at a time.

- If the client remains in bed, place a clean towel over the pillow & the client’s shoulders. Place it over client’s shoulders. – The towel collects any removed hair, dirt & scaly materials.

- Remove any pins or ribbons in the hair.

5. Remove any mats or tangles gradually.
- Mats can usually be pulled apart w/ fingers or worked out w/ repeated brushings.

- If the hair is very tangled, rub alcohol or oil such as mineral oil, on the strands to help loosen the tangles.

- Comb out tangles in a small section of hair toward the ends. Stabilize the hair w/ one hand & comb toward the ends of the hair w/ the other hand. – This avoids scalp trauma.

6. Brush & comb the hair.
- For short hair, brush & comb one side at a time. Divide long hair into two sections by parting it down the middle from the front to the back. If the hair is very thick divide each section into front & back subsections or into several layers.

7. Arrange the hair as neatly & attractively as possible. Braiding long hair prevents tangle.

8. Document assessment & special nursing interventions. Daily combing & brushing of the hair is not normally recommended.