Washing hair with a burst ear drum

[TapStepBallChange]

DD's ear drum burst at the weekend. She's 7 and we are trying to figure out the best way to wash her hair without getting much water in it. Has anyone got any tips? My "hold a freezer bag over it" plan failed miserably

My mum used to stick a cotton wool ball in the entrance bit to keep water away

Poor thing. This happened to me a couple of years ago and it's grim. It's not possible to wash hair and keep the ear completely dry and I don't think anything too bad will happen if a bit of water gets in.

Freezer bag over ear is a good idea. Can she have a bath and keep her head up and dry, then you wash her hair with her kneeling on the floor with her head tipped over the bath? That way you can direct the shower forward better.

I would (in all seriousness) not wash her hair for a fortnight. Ear problems are hideously painful. I would keep her hair tied up when she is eating/getting messy to keep it as clean as possible.

Thanks, we only washed her hair yesterday as it had become so matted with all the stuff that came out of her ear! Might investigate dry shampoo as well.

Already had to postpone swimming lessons for a term

Has she been to the GP? May need antibiotics if it has burst

One of these?

Cotton wool in the ear worked well for ds. He used to call it his "clouds in his ears".

Yep we've been the GP and got anti-biotics. The GP has been ace, as were the lovely people in the waiting room who all went to the receptionist to let her know DD could be seen before them, she was clutching her war and sobbing as it really hurt, they were all very lovely

you can get earplugs for swimmers at chemists or sports stores.

I just clicked and collected a cap thing like glittery posted at our local boots. Dd split her forehead open, so needed something to keep water away. She hates getting water in her ears too so thats an added bonus

Don't put earplugs or anything else like that in her ears while the eardrum is still ruptured! This is likely to be very painful when you try to remove, if it creates any kind of suction, and may also introduce more/ different infection. Cotton wool and wash under the shower with the affected ear uppermost and the shower carefully angled away from that ear, I reckon. That's what I did in any case when mine burst a couple of years ago.

What about your sandwich bag idea, but taped around with micropore? It depends how close to her ear her hairline is I suppose.