New THR - now I would love to wash my hair!

WendyDales

I've looked around at the diaries, etc., which are great, but I can't find anything specific about hair washing or showers for those with an overhead shower in a bath. Soooo….I'm doing my own post, if anyone can help 🙏

It is my THR one-week anniversary today! This time last week I was sitting on the ward post-op still nicely drugged up - things went a bit downhill in the hospital from there (fainting, pain, etc) but I emerged later the next day to go home. Recovery is going OK I think (so far but I don't like to jinx it!). If you have any questions about the surgery and week one for any new hippies - please just ask away. I'm 52 and found out I had osteoarthritis a year ago after having pain for quite some time (which was initially misdiagnosed). I was a fit outdoorsy middle-aged woman and it came as quite a devastating shock to me. Anyway, here we are. I know I'm one of the lucky ones who's been able to have an operation and I'm now on the other side I hope 😍

Anyway, it's also just over a week since I washed my hair - lots of anniversaries! 😄 I am trying to get up and get dressed every day and go outside for a 'walk'. I am obviously having washes in the sink and I'm OK with this until I get my dressing looked at next week. However, I would like to wash my hair which has now started to itch slightly! I can't stand for two long so don't think I could do it over the sink. Our shower head can be hand-held so potentially a bathboard needs to be purchased but are they practical? And do I want to pay out for something that I won't need for ever (or will I?). Perhaps this is something the OT should have given me? I even thought of just making an appointment with the hairdresser but that seems a bit extreme and involves a possible painful car journey/walk to the salon. And I guess I do have to consider that the dressing may come off in the next week and I will want a shower albeit I realise it might be a long while until I can get myself in and out of the bath tub as normal.

Any tips let me know! Thanks so much to you lovely folk 😊

Trish9556

Hi @WendyDales

The best thing you can do is get some dry hair shampoo. Doesn't need to cost a fortune, I got mine from a supermarket for £1, It was about 2 1/2 weeks at least before I could do mine, with my husbands help, as he held the shower head and I leant as far over the bath as I could, leaning against the wall.

It was about 6 weeks before I could get into the bath to shower, far too difficult, even with the help of a step. Luckily my eldest has a walk in shower so once I could get up his 2 flights of stairs I could at least go round there.

Take it steady, don't rush, small baby steps are better than giant leaps.

Trish xx

Nurina

With the help of a zimmer frame, I washed my very long hair using one hand bending on the sink standing on a non-slip mat. I'm short so I wasn't breaking the 90º rule. It wasn't perfect and I think I didn't rinse it very well but who cares?

Rona123

I had my THR 10 weeks ago and still can’t get my leg over the bath for a shower. I can now go over to my neighbour who has a walk in shower a few times a week but before then I washed my hair over the kitchen sink as you don’t have to bend so far as the bathroom basin. Good luck!

helpline_team

Hi @WendyDales, thanks for posting, and to everyone for their responses. Wendy, I hope the suggestions on using dry shampoo/ non-slip mats etc. provide you with the tips you were after, to help you to wash your hair. We’d just advise you to take care and follow the advice of the therapists you saw after the surgery, about any movements that you need to take special care with. We’d recommend speaking to the occupational therapist if you have any questions or concerns. In case it’s useful I’ve provided information on recovering after a THR.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/treatments/surgery/hip-replacement-surgery/#hip-replacement-surgery_recovery

Hope it helps. Thanks, Natalie, Helpline Advisor.

WendyDales

Thanks to everyone, I’m so grateful for any advice. Thank you, Natalie, I’ll look at that.

As it happens my sister is a retired OT and told me she thinks a bath board would work but after discussing with my husband (not an OT 🤣🤦‍♀️) he decided to go and buy a chair that reclined, lowered me in and he washed it - he likes to fix problems! Actually his hair washing wasn’t so bad! 😉

I did speak with the Orthopaedic nurse and she just said to use the bath in a few weeks when I’m comfortable (the shower in the bath not an actual bath - that’s longer) but warned that I must keep my legs together when I lift my legs into the bath (no splits!).

Work have a walk in shower for people who exercise at lunch and I’ve started galvanising new friends with walk in showers 🤔😉 Until then it looks like my husband has built himself a rod for his own back once the dry shampoo wears off 🤣