How To Wear Long Hair In Laboratory Setting

[FayetheAspie]

My classes begin next month. What are the best ways to keep long hair out of the way while working in a lab. I don't intend to cut off so don't bother offering that as a suggestion. I am just looking for some good options of putting it up out of the way while in class and hopefully soon at work.

 

[Rodafina]

Do you think you could manage a side braid? I find this to be a quick and easy way to keep my long hair out of the way. The braid can always be rolled into a bun if you are working with flames or anything like that.

I find adding a stretchy headband can help, too.
Something like this:

 

[Judge]

Took a bit to find a link that dealt with the "hows" as opposed to the "whys" on containing long hair in any lab environment.

Laboratory Safety: Long Hair Containment

 

[Neonatal RRT]

Almost all the female nurses I work with (with long hair) have their hair up in either a bun, hair clip, or ponytail. If we need to go "sterile" then it's a complete hair cover.

 

[Outdated]

In industrial situations people need to keep their hair tucked away to prevent machinery grabbing it - that often results in death. Pony tails are common but the pony tail is worn inside the shirt where it's out of the way. People that decide they're going to do that type of work long term usually end up cutting their hair shorter - shoulder length at maximum.

 

[MC1Rcat]

Almost all the female nurses I work with (with long hair) have their hair up in either a bun, hair clip, or ponytail. If we need to go "sterile" then it's a complete hair cover.

Congrats on starting your new classes!!!! I do nutritional biochemistry research with gestational diabetes patients in a clinic and hospital, and then process/ test the samples collected in a biochem lab setting, and this is the protocol we follow for putting long hair back. No hair touching the shoulders or anything that is going to land in something you are leaning over. I mostly do buns and clips with all the hair up, because really long ponytails or braids can swing forward into whatever you are working with. If you are dealing with any biohazardous substances (blood, tissue, body fluids) or assay materials that have dangerous chemicals or bacteria, you don't want it to get into your hair, or have your hair or DNA contaminate the samples you are working with. This includes things splashing up onto you. I am assuming you will be taking both chemistry and biology classes, which means you will likely be dealing with chemicals, bacteria, DNA and sometimes open flame. You would want to follow the same protocol for all of the hair back. Also, I would not recommend using any flammable hair products on days you are dealing with fire in the lab. You will probably also be wearing a lab coat, nitrile gloves, closed toe shoes and goggles, and will not be allowed to eat or drink anything in the labs.

 

[Judge]

In industrial situations people need to keep their hair tucked away to prevent machinery grabbing it - that often results in death. Pony tails are common but the pony tail is worn inside the shirt where it's out of the way. People that decide they're going to do that type of work long term usually end up cutting their hair shorter - shoulder length at maximum.

Good point. In more hazardous conditions be it industrial or a laboratory such rules and regulations can be more stringent, as outlined in OSHA policy. (Occupational Safety & Health Administration)

 

[autisticfrog]

My classes begin next month. What are the best ways to keep long hair out of the way while working in a lab. I don't intend to cut off so don't bother offering that as a suggestion. I am just looking for some good options of putting it up out of the way while in class and hopefully soon at work.

hairtie

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I've had long hair most of my career, never had issues stayed away from rotating machinery. Only cut it after stroke as I could not maintain it. Believe me coil line good at degloving. Some of the guys had hair longer than typical woman. One Jamaican guy really impressed me with his length, used corn rows.

 

[Crossbreed]

Three of my figures have hairnets.* Would that help?

*One of them has been dubbed the "lunch lady" Barbie by collectors...

 

[AuAL]

Last time I was working in a chemlab, I had hair to my shoulders. I now have it as long again, but it’s mostly grey now I wore it tied in a ponytail when in the lab.

There’s lots of useful information already in this thread - most of it common sense. A lot of it has evolved, mainly to protect you and the people around you. When I was working in heavy industry, we use many shortcuts to get jobs done, many of them highly dangerous and directly injurious to our health. (Never mind, we got 20c/hr “dust money” for some jobs.)

 

[Crossbreed]

I had a ponytail in the 1990s. I never got used to being whapped whenever I turned my head too fast...

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Do not overthink it , just attend follow lead of other's in class who also have long hair. Follow instructions, was not an issue when I was in college,

 

[Tiffany Kate]

I've always had long hair. Currently, sometimes I need to keep it tied up to A) fit under a helmet, and B) keep it out of the way of rotating propellers.

I've always found it easiest to use some form of plait (braid) because that's the best way of stopping bits escaping. Some styles I've used are:

- Single French plait down the back, then curl up the plait and pin it into a bun with LOTS of hairpins. This also works with an ordinary plait, but it's not quite as secure as the French plait gives you something firm to pin the bun to. If you're doing an ordinary plait, make a ponytail first (with a rubber band) then plait the ponytail. It makes the plait more stable and easier to pin into a bun that doesn't come apart.
- High ponytail, plait the ponytail, curl it up into a bun on the top of my head with LOTS of hairpins.
- Loose ordinary plait, curl it up, and hold it in place with a U-shaped hairpin (elegant and quick, but less stable).
- French plait around my head, then wind the end of the plait around and pin it in place (very secure, but takes some time in the morning - best for under a helmet).

If it's important that you don't have bits of hair coming loose, or you want to be very sure that whatever up-do you've got doesn't come apart, get some firm-hold hairspray. I'm a child of the 1980s, so I've seen some very unnatural hair shapes held in place by hairspray!

I had short-ish hair for one period during my life, and I gave up on that quickly because I found short-ish hair was more trouble than long hair. At least with long hair, once you've pinned it up properly, it will stay up. Short-ish hair tends to escape more easily.