A Hairdresser Burnt My Scalp To A Crisp And Here’s Everything I Did To Get Through It

In a chaotic attempt to feel in control of my life, I decided to drastically change my hairstyle.

For context, I am someone who usually rocks a quiff. But, as I felt increasingly less in control of my life during the COVID-19 pandemic, I decided that I wanted to look like a boy band member by getting a perm. So, I did! But, I probably ended up looking more like a wannabe TikToker than a famous popstar.

The evolution of my hair thanks to COVID-19!

Here I was with this DIY-perm that was slowly, but surely, growing out and I needed to make a change. What was that change? Well, there was really only one answer, right? Getting a buzzcut and dying my hair blonde. Am I an Eminem fan you ask? No, because famously Gen-Z is trying to cancel him, but I’ll stan the haircut nonetheless!

I went to my regular hairdresser asking for something new this time, only to find myself in excruciating pain just a few moments later. After the bleach was placed onto my forehead, the light tingles quickly evolved into a literal fireball burning my scalp to a crisp. OK, not a literal fireball, but you get the gist. 

Now, I’m not sure if it’s because the bleach he used was particularly strong or maybe I just toned my face and it was feeling particularly sensitive that day. But, when I left my hairdresser that day, I not only left with a blonde head of hair but a bright red scalp.

So, what’s a guy to do in my situation? Take to Instagram! I hopped onto my Instagram Story to ask all my friends, family and acquaintances if they had any advice for me. And yes, I took it all. 

Here’s the initial reaction to my experience: 

Like all good friends, a bunch of my besties replied to me with concerns for my wellbeing (with the occasional drag). And while this was helpful, this was not what I needed to hear right now. 

So if you ever happen to suffer from a burnt scalp, here are the tips that were shared with me:

T2: The 2nd Use For Tea Bags?

It was recommended to me by a few of my very close friends to put some warm, wet tea bags on the burn. This – and I can not stress this enough – didn’t help. Like, it didn’t help at all. Pro tip: If you do try this (which I guess you can since there is some scientific proof that it does work), don’t waste your good tea bags on this task, as I did. 

There Was Also A Bunch Of Unhelpful Advice

It’s nice to know my friends and family found this as funny as I did!

Aloe To The Rescue!

The first remedy that I felt actually worked was using aloe vera. The soothing gel initially stung when I first put it on but offered pretty immediate comfort and moisture to the dry skin. The burn must’ve been craving moisture because I had to keep re-applying the gel to my forehead every 10-15 minutes.

Now, this did work, but I felt like I needed something else to really amp up the remedy. 

I Need A Doctor Because This Is Starting To Burn (Cream)

Burn cream was the next logical step in my head. It was ultimately helpful, but it kind of did the same thing as the aloe vera, which was: soothing the burn at a glacial pace.

I needed something elevated, something to work quicker! I was over my burnt scalp! I continued on this journey of recommendations… 

Friendship With Burn Cream Over, Bio-Oil Is My New Best Friend

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner. Out of all the products I went through, Bio-Oil was the one that really helped. It helped keep the burnt skin moist without having to constantly reapply, which was really all I needed.

After a week of constantly applying the Bio-Oil, the scabby burnt skin came off in the shower and the fresh skin underneath was ready to see the world. 

Burnt scalp? Not anymore!

My Hairdresser Better Have My Money!

Even though I fixed the burn on my head, I wasn’t ready to put this chapter of my life behind me. At the advice of my friends, I sought compensation for all of these products that I needed to buy and was kindly given a refund. 

All The Remedies I Didn’t Try

Now, since the Bio-Oil worked, there were a bunch of products I didn’t get the chance to buy or try. But, in case you need this information, I’ll leave all the other responses here. 

In Summary:

So, to sum up, if this ever happens to you, try your best to keep the burn moisturised because that burn is staying there until the new skin is ready. Personally, I loved the Bio-Oil because I didn’t need to reapply it as much, but if you already have burn cream or aloe vera at home, they’ll definitely get the job done! But… you know… in ample time.

Look, it’s a shame I didn’t get to enjoy my freshly dyed hair without a burnt scalp, but we live, laugh, learn!