Braids Land N.C. Woman in Emergency Room

The woman pictured above ,Veronica Carter, went to a braid salon in North Carolina,as a result of a scratch from the braiders dirty fingernail, she developed MRSA. The story is here.

"The braid came out and it was like a little white bump," she said. "The headaches became just on one side and it was migraines and it was like a heat sensation."

"My whole face was swollen, my eye was absolutely shut," said Carter.

She went to the emergency room twice and paperwork she was given on the second visit states she may have MRSA,

According to MayoClinic.com: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that's become resistant to the antibiotics commonly used to treat ordinary staph infections.

Most MRSA infections occur in people who have been in hospitals or other health care settings, such as nursing homes and dialysis centers. When it occurs in these settings, it's known as health care-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA). HA-MRSA infections typically are associated with invasive procedures or devices, such as surgeries, intravenous tubing or artificial joints.

Another type of MRSA infection has occurred in the wider community — among healthy people. This form, community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), often begins as a painful skin boil. It's spread by skin-to-skin contact. At-risk populations include groups such as high school wrestlers, child care workers and people who live in crowded conditions.

This woman went to the emergency room twice and is on four antibiotics. North Carolina, unrelated to this incident, is now requiring that all braiders and braid salons be state licensed, do you think this should be the case in all states?

Students hair cut in India-different reaction

I recently blogged a video clip regarding a young girl who had a braid cut from her head by her teacher. The teacher claimed to have done it in frustration because the child was playing with her beaded hair. I felt that everyone involved under-reacted. The teacher was not suspended, she was not charged with assault or abuse and I have yet to hear of a law suit. By comparison in India in February this occurred:

Teacher snips off students’ hair

Raktima Bose

KOLKATA: In a bizarre incident, a teacher snipped off the hair of five students in a school in Burdwan district of West Bengal for allegedly not adhering to the institute’s code of conduct related to hairdo.

The teacher, Manisha Ray, cut short the hair of the students for violating the rule of tying two plaits and coming with with a single plait during the morning prayers. As news of the incident spread, irate guardians entered the school premises in protest. They locked the teachers in a room and demanded Ms. Ray’s suspension. The police arrested Ms. Ray following complaints by the guardians of the students whose hair was cut off.

“We have arrested the teacher, based on a complaint. Charges against her will be framed under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code,” Burdwan’s Additional Superintendent of Police Utpal Naskar said.

Members of the school’s managing committee later suspended Ms. Ray indefinitely from service.

The Hindu
Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 19, 2009

I wonder if the child in the US got the reaction she did because her hair is seen as less beautiful/valuable? or if it was just because the Indian Teacher "assaulted" more than one student?

Today's Hair

Style: Cornrows into AfroPuff

Approximate time to complete: 45 mins (depends on how fast you braid)

Products Used: Burdock Root Butter Cream, Lil Better Butter, EcoStyler Olive Oil Gel

Tools Used: My fingers, rattail tooth comb, ponytail holder

Reason for style: I've been practicing my braiding!
(I plan to take down the puff and do two strand twist in back.)

Lessons Learned: I can cornrow.