How to Deal with Baby Hair Tourniquet

Sometimes hair might get wrapped around your baby’s finger, toe or nails and cause pain to your baby. If not treated quickly, this problem might get serious.

Let us learn more about what a baby tourniquet is, and how to deal with it.

What is a Hair Tourniquet Syndrome in Infant?

A hair tourniquet is a problem that happens when a strand of hair is wrapped around the fingers, toes or genitals of a baby. These are most common in infants, and you can generally see a strand of stray hair wrapped around the baby’s toe inside the sock. This is called toe hair tourniquet.

How to Detect Tourniquet Syndrome?

You can suspect the occurrence of a hair tourniquet if your baby is crying and cannot be consoled with the usual things like cuddling and feeding. If he is crying without any cause, check all the ten fingers and all the ten toes of the baby for a sign of a strand of hair or thread pinching the baby’s skin. Check the penis also in case of a baby boy. If the baby has a hair wrapped around baby finger, toes or genitals for a long time, it might cause painful swelling.

You can do a check all around when you are bathing the baby. Look for strands of hair or thread that might cause a problem later. Clean fallen hair out before taking your baby into the bathroom for a bath.

Treatments for Toe Tourniquet

Here are some ways of hair tourniquet removal from a baby’s toe:

Use a pair of fine tweezers or bobby pin or something similar which is slim and not sharp. Slip it under the thread or hair and pull the pin to break the strand of hair or thread.

If the toe, finger or nail is swollen or discoloured, you should consult a paediatrician. He will examine the affected body part to determine the safest way to remove the hair tourniquet. If the strand of hair or thread is embedded deeply, the doctor might have to use local anaesthesia.

In some severe (but extremely rare) cases, the doctor might have to make a small incision along the baby’s affected part to remove the strand of hair or thread.

Will There Be Any Complications After the Hair Tourniquet is Removed?

If the hair tourniquet is detected and treated quickly, there are very few chances of any tourniquet dangers after that. You baby will heal quickly if the hair tourniquet is removed immediately after detection. But in more severe cases, hair tourniquet can lead to complications like tissue necrosis.

Home Remedies for Removing Hair Around Infant’s Finger or Toe

If you detect a tourniquet around your baby’s finger or toe, DON’T try to pull the hair at once! It can increase the severity of the hair tourniquet by tightening the strand of hair.

You can use the following home remedies to snip the strand of hair:

• Use tweezers and a magnifying glass to lift the hair up and carefully remove it with baby-nail scissors.
• Stretch the skin near the affected area and put a piece of scotch tape over the strand of hair. Lift it up with care so that the hair gets attached to the tape. It may either slide off the hair or you can snip the hair carefully using baby scissors.
• Put the toe in water and soak it to relax. Hair expands when it is wet. While it is wet, you can grab it with your nails and try to unwind it.
• Use coconut oil, petroleum jelly or olive oil to moisturise the affected area and try to slide the hair off gently.

How Can You Prevent Hair Tourniquet in Baby?

Here are some precautions you can take to prevent Hair tourniquet in your baby:

• Check your baby’s toe, fingers and genitals regularly and make sure that there are no stray strands of hair or thread wrapped around them.
• Tie your long hairs while changing the diapers of the baby to decrease the chances of hairs falling into the diaper.
• Wash the clothes of your baby separately.
• Turn the mittens and socks inside out after washing them to ensure that no hair is stuck inside.
• Check the surroundings of the baby for strands of hair or thread which might cause Hair tourniquet.

When to Call a Doctor

If you are not able to remove the Hair tourniquet at home, you should consult a doctor. If the hair is light coloured or if you are not exactly sure if you have removed the hair tourniquet and the baby is still crying, go to the doctor.

If you see that the finger, toe or penis of your baby is swelled or discoloured because of Hair tourniquet, you should consult a doctor and seek medical attention.

A Hair tourniquet is a rare but potentially serious problem. If you see your baby crying without any reason, look out for hair tourniquet and try to remove them carefully. If you cannot remove it at home, consult a doctor immediately.