By Hannah Baggenstoss
Medill Reports
Jordyn Taylor was born with a tangle of abnormal blood vessels in her brain resembling a clot. A risky but lifesaving surgery left her with restricted movement on the left side of her body. While she has kept her independence, her condition has limited her ability to perform various tasks, including hair care. It wasn’t until recently that Taylor curled her hair for the first time on her own using a gifted styling tool similar to the coveted Dyson Airwrap.
The latest craze surrounding the Airwrap has brought about positive reviews despite its steep $600 price tag. The purple and gray wand can curl or straighten hair while allowing someone to use it with one hand, and the engineered barrel styles hair without having to do yoga poses just to get some waves. But can products like the Airwrap be beneficial to the disability community?
Mandy Behling, a resource specialist for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, seems to think so. Behling lives with a condition called reflex sympathetic dystrophy, which affects her central nervous system. This causes her extreme pain and makes it difficult to grip things well and bend down.
For people like Taylor and Behling, finding personal beauty items that are functional for people with physical disabilities can be tricky. But there are several products on the market, many of them at a fraction of the cost of the Airwrap, that make hair care easier for those who need a product tailored to their specific needs. Here’s a roundup of some of the best on the market right now.
- CHI Spin N Curl — $108.99 (CHI)
Size does matter when it comes to a product’s handle both Behling and Taylor said. Many times, people are unable to bend their hands a certain way, and having a wider girth on an object can help them take hold of it. Like the Airwrap, the CHI Spin N Curl does much of the heavy lifting with curling and styling hair. This device comes with a 1-inch ceramic rotating barrel and a wider handle for an easier grasp. The digital temperature display offers temperature settings with larger buttons to make the wand hotter or colder. Also, the upper part of the barrel does not get hot. “I would be worried about burning myself with two good hands,” Taylor said.
2. Conair Gel Grip Hair Dryer — $32.95 (Ebay)
Sometimes, even if a device’s handle is large enough to grip, it may be too slick to hold. Many individuals with physical disabilities are unable to hold up an object with both hands. Behling said any hair dryer with a gel handle — like this Conair mode — can be easier for people to use one-handed. Remington also has a wide variety of hair dryers in this category, which should help achieve those luscious locks.
3. Revlon One-Step Volumizer — $40.45 (Amazon)
If the Dyson Airwrap is the queen of the hair beauty industry right now, the Revlon One-Step Volumizer is the princess. This product styles, dries and lifts the hair in one step, The volumizer is also usable with one hand, and the round brush reduces the effort and time it would take with two separate items. This makes getting ready quicker and more efficient for those who are easily fatigued. It’s also fixed with a wide, easy-to-grip handle.
4. Low-hanging shampoo and conditioner silicone shower holders — $32.95 (Amazon)
For those who live with chronic pain, sitting down in the shower is a must. Often, regular shower caddies can be too high to reach, and it may be not accessible for people to leave their shampoos and body washes on the floor of their shower. For Behling, that’s a problem — her condition can cause her to lose consciousness if she bends down too far. Low-hanging caddies, such as this cute octopus, are a great alternative. All she has to do is reach up and squeeze the bottles for shampoo and conditioner. This model is so popular in the Behling household, both she and her 7-year-old daughter have their own octopi hanging in their showers.
5. Handheld scalp scrubbers — $8.58 (Amazon)
Taylor explains that because half of her body can’t move fully, it’s a challenge to use only her right hand to wash her hair. She says she uses a scalp scrubber to fully lather and scrub her head. Also, Behling emphasizes that handles on products tend to be overlooked for those with disabilities. A handle like this can assist those who can’t bend their fingers or wrist. The pointed spikes look a little scary, but they’re made of silicone to ensure people don’t irritate their scalp.
6. Blow Dryer Stand — $33.99 (Amazon)
A person’s ability to grip a hair dryer may be fine, but their strength to lift up their arms may be limited. That’s where blow dryer stands can help. According to the Muscular Dystrophy Association’s blog, some can be placed on top of a counter, and some can be clipped to the side. Many of these have a bendable neck, so they can be used while someone is seated. Products like this have a multi-use design to them where people—disabled or not—can use them. The hope, according to Behling and Taylor, is these products that are also disability-friendly continue to enter the mainstream. “When we look at things with a universal design that benefits anybody who could be purchasing the product, everybody wins,” Behling said.
Hannah Baggenstoss is a magazine specialization student at Medill. You can follow her on Twitter @HannahBagg_94
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