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Fast & Effective Hand Exercises for Hairdressers

Dr. Z • Apr 13, 2020

Best Hand Exercises for Hairdressers

A few years ago, a middle-aged woman named Adhira came to me with carpal tunnel syndrome symptoms. As a dedicated teacher and hair stylist, she asked me to design hand exercises as part of a carpal tunnel prevention routine for cosmetology students. The result is the following 60 second hand exercise routine for hairdressers. 


These exercises ensure countless professionals who have carpal tunnel syndrome don’t shortcut their career. Best of all, they're quick and easy to perform, even for VERY busy people.


First designed JUST for hairdressers

I first designed these "hand exercises for hairdressers" just for Adhira. She’s a professional hairdresser who’s intensely dedicated to her clients and students. 


We first met in 2008 when her beauty career was interrupted by severe carpal tunnel in both hands. At the time, she was in such demand as a stylist that she rented two booths at a high-end Atlanta salon.


She was scheduled for carpal tunnel surgery but kept asking questions about alternatives. She found me online and completed one of my hand symptoms surveys. We spoke on the phone next day and I sent her a CarpalRx by overnight express. 


I had Adhira check-in with me every three days so I could monitor her therapy. (CarpalRx is a massager that cures symptoms in over 97% of patients.) Within 10 days she was back to work on a limited schedule. Four weeks later she was back to work full-time.

pins & needles

Adhira decided to give up her stressful client schedule to become a cosmetology instructor. She phoned me AGAIN a few weeks ago after taking a continuing education class on hand health for hairdressers Between what she learned and her own experience, Adhira got all fired up!


Determined to spare her students the misery of her carpal tunnel experience, Adhira started work on a hand health component to her curriculum. 


She asked me to design "hand exercises for hairdressers" as part of her carpal tunnel prevention module. I was thrilled to help! 


See below for the exercises I developed for Adhira and anybody else with similar problems.

Calling all Stylists!


It only takes 60 seconds to keep your hands safe from carpal tunnel...

hairdressing

Just 60 seconds will save your hands. 


It’s true! Just 60 seconds every hour protects you from hand or finger pain, numbness and tingling. Since these are the first signs of carpal tunnel syndrome, it’s important to listen to your hands. 


If you’ve got symptoms then start these hand exercises for hairdressers I designed for Adhira immediately.


By the way, hair stylists are among my most frequently seen carpal tunnel patients. And it’s no wonder. You use shears, combs, and other tools with rapid and repetitive movements all day long. It’s a sure-fire recipe for carpal tunnel syndrome.


So get started right away!

Fast hand exercises for hairdressers to PREVENT problems

It only takes 1 minute to do these stretches. So do them between each client.


They will:

 

  • Lubricate tendons from the arm to the fingers
  • Increase blood flow to the fingers & hand
  • Break up tendon adhesions from the arm to the fingers
  • Drain fluid from inside the wrist joint 
carpal tunnel patient

I’s super important you perform these stretches in the sequence I developed. To help you remember the sequence, I made up a mnemonic for you: 


Fine Stylists Prevent Injury (F.S.P.I)

 

  • Fine
  • Stylists
  • Prevent
  • Injury

 

F – Finger grab (10 seconds per hand)

finger grab

One by one, grab each finger and pull it back gently until you feel a good stretch at its base. Hold it for 2 seconds. Also, when pulling your thumb backward, move it from side to side in a circular fashion. 


These particular hand exercises stretch finger tendons and facilitate tendon lubrication.

S - Stop position (10 seconds per arm)

stop position exercise

Put your fingers together and hold them out straight in front of you as if saying "Stop!” With your other hand, gently pull all upturned fingers backward and hold for 5 seconds. Then reverse hands and repeat. 


Next, drop both hands to your sides and shake them out vigorously for 5 seconds. If they feel warm it means blood is flowing into your hand and fingers. Repeat the exercise another time.

P - Prayer position (10 seconds)

prayer position stretch

This exercise uses the “prayer” position. It stretches your entire forearm tendons. Bring your hands together like you’re praying, and close to your chest. Point fingers upward. As you press your palms together, slowly raise both elbows but not your shoulders. Hold this for 5 seconds, then drop your hands and shake them out. Repeat again. 


Do you feel your forearms stretching? Of all the hand exercises here, this one is the most effective for breaking adhesions along the entire tendon’s length. It stretches tendons running from your forearm muscles all the way to your fingertips.

I - Individual Massage (10 seconds each hand)

myofascial release

This is designed as an individual massage to knead the interior structures of your wrist. Use your opposite thumb and push it into your wrist, just below the wrist crease. You’ll feel the ropy tendons below the skin. Rub that area deeply with circular strokes for 10 seconds. Repeat this for your other hand. 


This is as close to myofascial release therapy you can get by doing it on yourself. In addition to breaking adhesions apart, it drains excess fluid from inside the carpal tunnel space deep inside the wrist joint.

Conclusion

Just remember: Fine Stylists Prevent Injury


Do these simple and fast exercises in between clients, and you won't have hand problems - ever! They're quick and guarantee that hurting hands or carpal tunnel syndrome will never pay you a visit.


Good luck! And if you need my personal attention regarding your hand problems, feel free to contact me.


Thanks for visiting! And please share this post with your colleagues. No one needs carpal tunnel syndrome getting in the way of earning a livelihood.

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