Accessible beauty: Hair care products that help people with physical disabilities look and feel their best

Gerard Ortiz

By Hannah Baggenstoss
Medill Reports 

Jordyn Taylor was born with a tangle of irregular blood vessels in her brain resembling a clot. A dangerous but lifesaving medical procedures left her with limited movement on the remaining side of her overall body. While she has saved her independence, her problem has constrained her means to accomplish various responsibilities, such as hair treatment. It was not until not long ago that Taylor curled her hair for the initially time on her have applying a gifted styling software comparable to the coveted  Dyson Airwrap.

Accessible Beauty
Jordyn Taylor performed soccer and basketball as a youngster. She explained she was a minor slower than the other people and was negative at catching the ball, but it acquired her relocating. (Jordyn Taylor)

The latest fad encompassing the Airwrap has introduced about beneficial testimonials even with its steep $600 value tag. The purple and grey wand can curl or straighten hair whilst allowing for an individual to use it with one hand, and the engineered barrel variations hair with no obtaining to do yoga poses just to get some waves. But can merchandise like the Airwrap be beneficial to the disability neighborhood?

Mandy Behling, a source professional for the Muscular Dystrophy Affiliation, seems to believe so. Behling life with a problem termed reflex sympathetic dystrophy, which affects her central nervous procedure. This will cause her intense agony and tends to make it hard to grip points perfectly and bend down.

For individuals like Taylor and Behling, locating personalized natural beauty things that are useful for individuals with bodily disabilities can be difficult. But there are numerous solutions on the industry, quite a few of them at a portion of the charge of the Airwrap, that make hair care easier for people who will need a item customized to their precise requirements. Here’s a roundup of some of the best on the marketplace right now.

  1. CHI Spin N Curl — $108.99 (CHI)

Measurement does make any difference when it arrives to a product’s handle both equally Behling and Taylor mentioned. Numerous times, people today are not able to bend their palms a sure way, and obtaining a broader girth on an object can assistance them get maintain of it. Like the Airwrap, the CHI Spin N Curl does significantly of the large lifting with curling and styling hair. This gadget comes with a 1-inch ceramic rotating barrel and a broader deal with for an much easier grasp. The electronic temperature display gives temperature configurations with larger sized buttons to make the wand hotter or colder. Also, the upper section of the barrel does not get hot. “I would be apprehensive about burning myself with two good hands,” Taylor mentioned.

2. Conair Gel Grip Hair Dryer — $32.95 (Ebay)

From time to time, even if a device’s deal with is substantial more than enough to grip, it might be far too slick to keep. Many people today with physical disabilities are unable to maintain up an item with each hands. Behling said any hair dryer with a gel cope with — like this Conair method — can be much easier for men and women to use a person-handed. Remington also has a wide variety of hair dryers in this group, which need to assistance obtain those luscious locks.

3. Revlon A single-Phase Volumizer — $40.45 (Amazon)

If the Dyson Airwrap is the queen of the hair attractiveness marketplace suitable now, the Revlon One-Action Volumizer is the princess. This merchandise styles, dries and lifts the hair in just one action, The volumizer is also usable with 1 hand, and the spherical brush decreases the work and time it would choose with two different items. This helps make finding completely ready faster and more effective for all those who are very easily fatigued. It’s also mounted with a extensive, simple-to-grip handle.

4.  Low-hanging shampoo and conditioner silicone shower holders — $32.95 (Amazon)

For those people who are living with serious ache, sitting down down in the shower is a will have to. Typically, normal shower caddies can be way too significant to reach, and it may be not obtainable for men and women to depart their shampoos and human body washes on the floor of their shower. For Behling, that’s a trouble — her condition can induce her to lose consciousness if she bends down far too much. Small-hanging caddies, such as this lovable octopus, are a great alternative. All she has to do is attain up and squeeze the bottles for shampoo and conditioner. This model is so well-liked in the Behling home, both she and her 7-calendar year-outdated daughter have their individual octopi hanging in their showers.

5. Handheld scalp scrubbers — $8.58 (Amazon)

Taylor clarifies that due to the fact half of her body just cannot shift completely, it is a problem to use only her right hand to clean her hair. She states she makes use of a scalp scrubber to absolutely lather and scrub her head. Also, Behling emphasizes that handles on products and solutions tend to be overlooked for those people with disabilities. A deal with like this can support all those who just can’t bend their fingers or wrist.  The pointed spikes appear a very little scary, but they are created of silicone to make certain people today really don’t irritate their scalp.

6. Blow Dryer Stand — $33.99 (Amazon)

A person’s capability to grip a hair dryer might be high-quality, but their strength to elevate up their arms might be minimal.  That’s the place blow dryer stands can support. According to the  Muscular Dystrophy Association’s web site, some can be placed on major of a counter, and some can be clipped to the aspect. Numerous of these have a bendable neck, so they can be made use of though someone is seated. Products like this have a multi-use structure to them where by people—disabled or not—can use them. The hope, according to Behling and Taylor, is these merchandise that are also disability-pleasant carry on to enter the mainstream. “When we search at things with a common structure that benefits any individual who could be buying the merchandise, everyone wins,” Behling said.

Hannah Baggenstoss is a magazine specialization college student at Medill. You can adhere to her on Twitter @HannahBagg_94

Next Post

Britney Spears’ Wedding Band and Jewelry Details

If there is a single factor Britney Spears is familiar with how to do, it’s sparkle. For her Los Angeles wedding ceremony on Thursday, the pop star obtained far more than $550,000 worth of jewellery and 62 carats to marry her now-husband Sam Asghari. The two wed in a yard […]
Britney Spears’ Wedding Band and Jewelry Details