Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

in thinking hairdresser was being a bit over the top? Quite up for being told i am btw!

29 replies

minxofmancunia · 27/08/2010 09:11

DH took dd (nearly 4) to get her hair cut yesterday as she looks like worzel gummage (thick curly tangled thatch). She's 7 days post chickenpox, so no longer infected but has a few visible scabs. Washed her hair then on eof the stylists took dh for a "quiet word" they asked if her spots were chickenpox and dh said they were the scabs as a result of HAVING HAD IT a week previously. She then went on yo say they couldn't have her in the salon as one of the other stylists was pregnant and "one of her mates who was pregnant was near a child 10 days after the child got chickenpox and had to go to the drs for a special injection" Hmm. Dh asked pg stylist if she'd had it (yes) and explained the DoH and Manchester PCT policy of exposure to chickenpox ie 5 days post spots infection gone all ok esp as spots scabbed over.

They persisted in asking them to leave which they di but only after dh insisted they dry her hair whilst the pg stylist stayed in the back room.

I know there are complications of pg women get chickepox I have a pg friend who hasn't had it who was barred from our house last week! Are the guidelines diff for pg women???

Also loads of children go there to have their hair cut how the f**k is she going to protect herself from all their germs, just about every child I know has had is having or is incubating the pox at the moment. I suggest she secretes herself in darkened room until delivery Hmm.

Sorry if i sound unsympathetic but during the swine flu outbreak I had to work whilst pg in a child health department with numerous children and families who'd been in contact with swine flu, i certainly couldn't ask to not come into contact with school children, it's my job!

Quie up for being told I'm wrong here, I know I can be a bit hardfaced. Dh has booked her in for next Thur but am going to cancel it and book her somewhere else me being all uptight and pfb that I am Wink

OP posts:
thereisalightanditnevergoesout · 27/08/2010 09:18

I would have thought that it would be more of a worry for the stylist coming into contact with all the children who are infectious but have not yet developed spots.

I'm really no expert, but I understood that once the last spot had scabbed over you are fine to take them out. That what I was told by my HV. So if this is the case, then I think the hairdresser was being very over-cautious, but I can sort of understand the stylist panicking, too.

Altaira · 27/08/2010 09:24

YANBU- but in a way neither are they. If they haven't come across chickenpox and pregnancy before, then they just panicked.

I think they are definitely misinformed and a bit cluless! Can you drop in some written info about current guidelines?

theowlwhowasafraidofthedark · 27/08/2010 09:24

YANBU but lots of us are a bit precious about our much wanted pregnancies so I would try and be understanding. Perhaps the stylist has had miscarriages/previous problems in pregnancy so is extra concerned.

EarthMotherImNot · 27/08/2010 09:30

I can recall sitting on a bus years ago whilst newly pregnant with my 1st child listening with horror to the lady behind me telling her friend that she'd just been to her GP and been diagnosed with German Measles.

I was beside myself with fear and to my shame I got off the bus there and then.
I actually demanded the driver stop the busBlush

Original poster
minxofmancunia · 27/08/2010 09:31

Luckily it was dh who went with her and not me as I'd still be in there arguing the toss! Blush

I think I'll email the manager thru the website and explain the guidelines

OP posts:
Gibbon · 27/08/2010 09:34

I do understand your frustration but you have no idea what the pregnant woman has been through, or what fears she has.

It's a tough one, YANBU but I think some understanding is called for.

deepdarkwood · 27/08/2010 09:38

I don't think the stylist was right - and agree with you that she's doubtless more at risk from kids who are about to get spots ... but pox in pg IS scary, and lots of people go a bit mad are understandably cautious with illnesses - esp in a first, much wanted pg.

So personally, I'd have given the stylist the benefit of the doubt, and left straight away - after all, your daughters hair isn't going to explode if you leave it another week.

I think that if you work in a children's health centre, you can expect to meet sick children - dealing with sick children (even if your daughter wasn't technically still sick) isn't a hairdressers job.

Original poster
minxofmancunia · 27/08/2010 09:38

I know I do understand, I just think if she feels this way she shouldn't be at work coming into contact with children as she's far more likely to get it from one where the spots aren't even visible as the risk is far higher.

I think it was just the "my friend said" type comment that bugged me, as if that's gospel Hmm. They also need to have a sign up or something if kids with visible chickenpox scabs aren't allowed in there.

OP posts:
mariew1974 · 27/08/2010 09:47

I had an extremely bad case of chicken pox when I was 7 wks pg with ds3. I went to the doctor who didn't seem at all concerned by it and said I'll be fine. Having said that though different people can have different reactions, but with the spots being scabbed over she should have been fine.

SouthMum · 27/08/2010 09:52

YABU - she must not have known that DD was out of the infectious period so not really her fault.

"they need to have a sign up" Hmm

GiddyPickle · 27/08/2010 09:56

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

roadkillbunny · 27/08/2010 09:59

YANBU, I can kind of understand the fear of something going wrong in a much wanted pregnancy, but as you say, the real risk is the children who are just about to come out in spots but have no clue yet, that is when chicken pox is most infectious.
If I couldn't have taken my ds out while he still had visible spots but was all scabbed over we would have been house bound for close to 6 months. He had a very bad case as he had oral steroid treatments for asthma within 3 months of getting the pox, his immune system was compromised and he had terrible terrible chicken pox, he was still poc marked over 6 months later. My dd was bad enough, more of a normal case but had scabbed over spots visible for about a month.
I don't think it is worth you contacting them about it to be honest, think it would just seem petty, you have decided to take your business else where, I would leave it at that.

lucykate · 27/08/2010 10:01

yes, they hairdresser was being over cautious, but they are running a business there, and it is them who are taking the risk and therefore liable should anything go wrong. i think you just have to respect their decision to ask them to leave.

Original poster
minxofmancunia · 27/08/2010 10:27

Fair enough, it's understandable she's cuatious, I was when pg with ds but still had to carry on coming into contact with loads of swine flu infected people but there you go, that's the NHS for you!

giddypickle thanks for the info, is the risk still sever even if the woman has had chickenpox prior to getting pg or just if she;s never had it? My friend who's not been allowed round is 3 months pg and has never had it so i didn't want her coming into contact with dd until spots had scabbed over. Also don't want her seeing ds until 21 days have passed and he's either had it or we know he isn't going to get it this time (which would be a bloody miracle if he didn't get it from dd!). Also would my friend be at risk from me and dh if I met her say for a coffee without an infected child (just thinking about when ds might get it)in tow could I be a carrier so to speak as I'd been caring for him?? Just want to be on the safe side with her.

Are you still at risk if pg and had it?

Sorry if I wounded flippant i'm sure her friend needed the injection but it sounded like she hadn't really done her research into what was safe or not for her.

I won't bother emailing, but i'm still not going back, only take dd because it's cheap and they don't mind kids, wouldn't have my own hair done there as it'ds actually not a very good hairdressers

OP posts:
Floopy21 · 27/08/2010 10:36

I think it's also the look of it too. If you don't have children, you forget the pox rules & a child covered in scabs looks pretty infectious IYSWIM? (Even though we know better!) Just as an aside, If I was a hairdresser, I wouldn't want to cut an adult's hair if their body was covered in scabs, maybe the same thing with children for some people?

PeppermintCream · 27/08/2010 10:53

I've had the same injection/ vaccination when pregnant with dc2. It is v important not to risk infection with chicken pox when pg. Despite having had the vaccination I still caught chicken pox two yes later, fortunately I'd just given birth, so limited risk to the baby. When I spoke to the drs I was advised that there seems to be at least one new strain of chicken pox which the vaccine does not protect us against, and there were increasing cases last Christmas of people catching this new strain of chicken pox.

I would keep any infected child away from pregnant women until spots start to heal, not just scab up, it may sound precious, but it's really not worth the risk.

diddl · 27/08/2010 11:17

Isn´t it OK if you are pregnant but have had it yourself?

That´s what my GP told me anyway when I was pregnant & my PFB got it.

GiddyPickle · 27/08/2010 11:25

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

RonansMummy · 27/08/2010 11:26

I think the hair stylist has a right to feel comfortable in her work place. You could go to another hairdressers or wait another for dcs hsircut.

JenaiMarrHePlaysGuitar · 27/08/2010 11:28

The salon only had your DH's word for it that your dd was x number of days post infection - for all they know he's an inconsiderate twunt who'd happily lie in order to get his dd's hair cut.

PeppermintCream · 27/08/2010 11:48

Giddy- thanks for explaining this. Don't know why my dr didn't do this when I was so bewildered about having chickenpox last dec. Mind you with 3 dcs under 4 yrs maybe I just wasn't listening. Blush

Still think the hairdressers were wise to be cautious about a confirmed case of chickenpox.

sanielle · 27/08/2010 13:02

YAprobablyNBU but I would have felt the same as the stylist.. worried.

Also you says every kid you know has got pox at moment, if this is her first child she's not to know that all th ekids she's been touching who don't have symptoms are possibly contagious.

I wouldn't push it by sending an email, tbh though

LittleSilver · 27/08/2010 13:07

Have just spent the past five weeks looking after two children with chickenpox. Am obviously far too blase as didn't even mention it to mw at booking appt.

moomaa · 27/08/2010 13:18

Just thought I'd say that I wasn't sure if I'd had it so midwife tested me for immunity so I would know whether to avoid poxed kids or not.

StrikeUpTheBand · 27/08/2010 13:47

I think to some extent YABU in that you were being a bit uncharitable towards a lady who was probably concerned for her colleague's baby.

For what it's worth, I'm a teacher of reception children and not sure if I've had chickenpox (doctors not sure what I had). One day a child came back after one day off school and when I asked her why she told me she'd had chickenpox Shock. I panicked and immediately asked the TA of the class to go and phone to find out the real reason - it turned out she'd had chickenpox several weeks previously, but had actually been off for a different reason. But I spent a lot of time being worried during my pregnancy, especially when there was an outbreak of swine flu early on when there was more panic. I was in several of the high-risk groups for swine flu, so I had myself signed off for 3 weeks as I didn't want to take the chance. So I can kind of see that point of view.