United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

This is a question for all the long haired BPI's out there. I was discussing with some of my friends about my injury and they asked what the hardest thing about having to do everything with one arm is. To tell you the truth i couldn’t think of any really big things that i couldn’t do. We then started to brain storm what would be hard to do with one arm. Well we were wondering if it was hard or even possible to put in a ponytail at all. I argued that someone probably figured it out but my two other friends seem to think it is impossible. So is it possible to put a ponytail in your hair with one arm?

Thanks,
Andrew, complete TRBPI

I've never managed it one handed, I have very long hair. One of the guys that posts on the UK site does it with a door, it's under 'resources' http://www.tbpi-group.org/ I have never tried this, it looks painful :0) I do wish I could do a braid one handed, I don't know what I'll do when my daughters leave home..

Andrew, I have use of my hand, nothing else. But if I lay on the bed with my neck right on the edge of the bed with hair hanging ove, I can get mine up! I do like clips though, they are much easier!

COurt

I can't get my arm up to my head, so what I do is use my "good" hand to bring my BPI arm up to my head, then once there I rest it against my head and am able to use my hand to tie my hair up. I only figured this out when I was 12.

Marieke

I use to wear my hair very long and I put my ponytail in exactly the same way Marike does. I was very young when I began to comb my own hair and would not let my mother help. I also had very curly hair so that was a bit of a problem

I also began to put my bpi arm up on a wall to hold it up and use it to hold a blow dryer to dry my hair.

I think with bpi injured people they all have a very strong desire to do things for themselves...
So, where there is a will, they will find a way.

Kath

my daughter is 8...she will hold her hair with her injured arm and do the moving of the ponytail holder with her right arm. she can do them where her pony tail is low on her neck.

Some things she wont be able to do...crab walk, close a bra behind her back, swing on monkey bars...but she will try anything. She loves soccer...

It is very possible to learn to put your hair up into a pony tail. It took my 17 and a half years to learn, but I finally did. I have to lay on my bed with my hair over the edge. I gather my hair withmy left (good) hand and use one finger of my right (injured) hand to hold the elastic band. Then I put the pony under my head to hold it so it does not fall out and gather again... The process repeats because I do three wraps.

to SpeelmanC:
it actually is possible to close a bra behing your back with one hand. I have figured this out. It is not easy but it is possible. I generally stand in a door frame to hold one side, then go from there. A slightly modifies crap walk is possible as well. All we have to do is find our own way. thats all.
Amy 18 ROBPI from MN
hope16_05@hotmail.com

Andrew, it might be worth posting this on the trauma injured adults message board too-there are a lot more people posting over there with no use of one arm. I've also found good information on amputee websites (because basically we are in the same situation as an amputee). There are books too but the best information I've got has been from other people in my situation, and sometimes I figure out my own way.

If you do discover a better way than yeti's door thing, please let me know. I'd love to be able to do a ponytail, though frankly I was never much good at doing it even with 2 hands, so I'm not holding out much hope!
Jen NZ