Hairdryers! Argh!

Hi Girls. And guys. How is it blowdrying your hair now you have tinnitus & hyperacusis? (I have both!) I hate it. My hair is long and I've tried to let it air dry but yeah it takes about 2 days!! I wear foam ear plugs but I still find it too loud! I also have it in my head that the noise can worsen T. And yeah I need to dry it at least twice a week!

Ohh the hairdressers is just an ordeal now and it used to be such a treat

I somehow need to find a quieter model.

I spent £300 quid (yup! ) on the new dyson one, as a lot of folk claimed it to be more on the quiet side compared to standard ones! I found it so high pitched ! ARGH!

Damn this condition :'(

 

Hi

When i had long hair and if i used them, i'd use an ear plug for sure... The sound of that thing is just too annoying for my ears..

 

@fishbone
Hey. Hope you are doing well.

I know. But even with earplugs it's still loud! Meh I don't know. Takes a good 15-20 minutes to dry my hair. So I'm afraid these loud ass hairdryers are just adding more. Ears are fooked as it is.

The hairdressers is just a complete ordeal now! Between them drying my hair and other hairdryers going off... do I need to pop a diazepam to brave getting the do done these days! Meh.

 

I bought a mini, travel blowdrier. It's about the size of my hand and was very inexpensive on Amazon. I feel like it's far quieter than my normal drier. That said, I do wear an earplug if anything because air blowing in my ear kind of irritates it.

 

@Tinker Bell

Yeah I need to find a much quieter one. They don't usually give information on the db levels unlike a Hoover/vacuum. Grrr.

My ears definitely feel irritated even while wearing foam plugs. I Doubt I wear them 100% correctly but. I have tiny ear canals.

The things we have to think about now this beast is in our lives, while previously I wouldn't bat an eyelid at.

 

@Bear0211

In May of this year, I got my hair dresser to cut my hair to a shoulder length bob cut. I love it! It takes less time to blow dry, or I can just let it air dry over night and style in the morning before work.

I've had to wear earplugs at the hair salon too, it can get pretty noisy. I try to book my appointments first thing in the morning or around closing time, seems to be less people. The worst part for me is when they wash my hair, the noise of the water coming out of the sink has given me spikes in the past.

Hugs,

Jenni

 

@Jenni8619

Hiya.

Ooh nice one. Glad you love your new shorter hair
I just don't want to get my long hair cut. Thought about it but nah. I suit it longer. Just a pain in the ass to blow dry!

I've tried to let it air dry. Just goes a frizzy mess. Plus when I wake up the next day it's still half wet!

I need to search for a quiter model. Do they exist! Grrr.

What kind of plugs do you tend to wear at the hairdressers? I went once and thought it was rather quiet. Left plugs out and while getting my hair washed they blasted a hair dryer next to me. A good ten mins. oh man the anxiety! I'm usually in the salon for a good 3 hours! Now thinking about getting homers done instead.

Wow spiking from getting your hair washed?! Is your hypercausis bad right now? My ears are still spiking from an fire engines siren! SLIGHTLY better but my ears are badly reactive right now.

It's very cruel what tinnitus and H does... it's crazy the stuff we need to think about now!

Hugs back

 

@Bear0211
I use noise reduction earplugs 32dB, specifically the laser lite brand.

 

@Bear0211 Sometimes, especially in the summer, I'll air dry my hair and then go over it with a flat iron once dried to combat the frizzies! My hair dryer isn't terribly loud and the frequency doesn't really bother me, but a lot of times I do put noise cancelling foam plugs in.

The last time I was at my salon, they put me under this dome dryer for a bit - I think he put a gloss on or something - and I kept fussing with my ears because the noise from the dryer was bothering me. Someone saw me and asked if I was okay, and I said I had ringing and the noise was bothering me. She checked w/my stylist who said I didn't need to do it any longer. Sometimes just letting them know helps!

 

@Rosemerry
Hello. Can I ask what foam plugs you generally use? I find they really irritate my rather small ear canals after a while

Really need to try and find a quieter hairdryer. Mines is loud. Still sounds loud even with plugs in. Yeah I've been trying to air dry but takes about a day to dry my hair weird ass hair.

Yeah used to enjoy going to the Salon. Now it's just a complete ordeal even with plugs. Between them blasting my hair with the hairdryer and the others going off around me. Not to mention they like to play loud music! (Which I had to ask to Lower a couple of times :/)

Tinnitus is very testing indeed. Understatement!

 

Hi. You could try these ...

NRR 30

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003...+ear+plugs&dpPl=1&dpID=51sGygj7qaL&ref=plSrch

 

@Bear0211 I use Xtreme Protection Hearos Ear Plugs. They're really comfortable and I even wash and reuse them a few times before I toss.

https://www.amazon.com/Protection-Cancelling-Disposable-Earplugs-Hearing/dp/B000NP79YM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1501636147&sr=8-1&keywords=hearos+ear+plugs&th=1s

You could also air dry your hair a bit so you don't have to blow dry it as long. This is my blow dryer:
https://www.amazon.com/RUSK-Engineering-W8less-Professional-Dryer/dp/B005B9NWRS

I don't think it's that loud but I throw in some plugs just in case. I'm jealous of your Dyson! I wanted to get one but my husband said no way - too pricey!

As far as salons, mine isn't too crazy, just normal loudness - thankfully they don't play music! Sometimes stylists do hair in their homes on the side - wonder if you could find one of them until your ears settle down a bit?

 

@Rosemerry
Aww thanks I'll check them out.
I tend to use the lazer lite ear plugs. Don't like the fact they are yellow and purple though! Ha.

Ooh I sold the dyson hairdryer on eBay Rosemerry. I tried it in the shop and it did sound quieter tbh. But once I bought it, it sounded so high pitched and irritating to me! Don't think that is just my hypercausis as well. Hmmm.
I've since read reviews others thinking the same. So meh I don't know. Some think it's much quieter, others not do much. And yeah £300 quid ain't cheap!

Salons here think they are mini clubs by the sound!! I find it so embarrassing asking to turn the music down (as I feel so abnormal with this ear(s) hell one owner just rolled his eyes and said it wasn't that loud. Em yes it's blasting! Between the music and all the hairdryers I just feel I'm sitting there a nervous wreck. And I'm there for a good 3 hours!

So yes I think I'll try and get homers done. Then I'm in charge of the volume. Meh.

I hope you are doing well

 

I use earplugs and earmuffs. I wear the earmuffs upside down when drying my hair -- band of the earmuffs is around my chin instead of around my head. I also choose a mid setting for my blow dryer. Once my hair is partially dry, I use a flat iron to fully dry my hair.

 

@Lex
Do you just wear earplugs when visiting the salon then?
Can I ask what earplugs you use?

 

I use Howard Leight Laser Lite. I hate how conspicuous the colors are (hot pink and bright yellow) but they're the best disposable earplugs I've used.

Yes, I wear earplugs to the salon. When someone else's hair is being blow-dried, I either leave or wear my earmuffs.

 

@Lex
Yeah that's the ones I use too. I find my ears really ache wearing them After a while.
Yes aha! I'd much prefer if they were nude!
I was warned by my audiologist to only wear my custom ones at bars events ect... which I don't really do now

Someone's hair is usually being blow dried right next to me while mines is too. Oh the anxiety. Even wearing foam plugs!

 

@Bear0211, I don't care anymore what doctors or audiologists tell me about ear protection. If the sounds hurt, I will protect my ears. In my case, sounds caused the damage, so I don't see how sounds can heal it. Anyway, that's just me. People's cases differ a lot. Some people get worse from 'over protection' while some get better.

I haven't tried these, but they're nude-colored: https://www.amazon.com/Macks-Ear-Ca...&qid=1501667892&sr=1-1&keywords=nude+earplugs

 

@Lex
Same, mines is from sound damage too.
I do think I overprotect too much and of course lots of conflicting information regarding hypercausis, which I also have.

Meh.

Despise wearing earplugs as it just makes the noise 10 times worse. Of course
But I know it's needed.

Oh I'll have a look. Thank ya.

 

I have stopped using an hairdryer ever since i got T a month and a half ago due to the sound as well.

It's annoying, since either i spend 30 minutes trying to get something not looking like a complete mess (rarely tbh).
Or i just don't give a shit anymore and go out (when i am able to for short times...) with my hair being a total mess...
I look absolutely terrible, i know it, but at this point, i just don't care anymore.

Hopefully, i'll care again eventually but i'm not sure i'll ever dare use an hairdryer again.