A figure with intense bowel pain stands in the middle of a labyrinth.

Going to a Salon Appointment with IBS

Salon appointments are time-consuming, especially if you are dying your hair. You can be sitting in the chair for upwards of 4-5 hours, depending on what service you get. But when you have IBS, sitting in a salon chair for hours can be extremely stressful and challenging.

Hair salon appointment

I recently had an appointment at my salon for a much-needed cut and style. It had been months since I cut my hair, and I needed self-care. For the past month or so, I have been feeling amazing about my IBS, as I have made many changes in my diet and supplements, which have paid off.

So since my recent health improvements, I was highly confident when making my salon appointment. I felt it would go smoothly. Well, it did, until it didn't.

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Driving to my appointment, I was starting to get a stomach ache. This was odd, as what I ate for breakfast were safe foods as usual, and I couldn’t figure out why my stomach was starting to act up. Looking back, I honestly feel like it could have been my nerves. I was so excited to cut my hair that day, which could have ramped up symptoms.

IBS urgency strikes again

As I approached the salon, it hit me hard. I had to use the restroom ASAP. To make matters worse, I made this appointment at a new salon I had never been to. I was mortified. I needed to use the restroom, emergency status at this point, and I didn’t feel comfortable running in and wreaking havoc on their toilet my first time there.

So in a panic, I parked and walked down the street to find somewhere to use the restroom. Off I go, walking and clenching, clenching and walking. I approached the storefront next door and politely asked if I could use their bathroom. The woman was so kind and regretfully said their restroom was out of order as they were doing construction, and they indeed were. She quickly suggested a hotel a block away.

At this point, I thought it was over for me—I would have an accident. The urgency was intense. But I continued to speak positive thoughts to myself and pushed myself to walk to the hotel even though the only thing I wanted to do was give up and cry.

I finally made it to the lobby and ran into the bathroom. I couldn’t believe I had made it! It was looking bleak for me. Thankfully, I still made it to my hair appointment just 5 minutes late, and my stomach behaved perfectly for the remainder of my time there. I didn’t even need to use their restroom.

Have you ever had an experience like this before having to attend an appointment? Is it not the most stressful thing to endure? I feel like it is. If you can relate, comment below.

This article represents the opinions, thoughts, and experiences of the author; none of this content has been paid for by any advertiser. The IrritableBowelSyndrome.net team does not recommend or endorse any products or treatments discussed herein. Learn more about how we maintain editorial integrity here.

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