One activity that is difficult when wearing a cochlear implant is going to the hairdressers. Since I went deaf in August 2011 I haven't been to the hairdressers. Yes, that's six months. No, I haven't let myself go. My husband has been giving me a regular trim (he's a trained hairdresser) and my kind sister-in-law (also a trained hairdresser) has been putting a natural colour through my hair. For the new year though, I felt I needed to bite the bullet and have a make-over so I booked myself in to the hairdressers for the full works. I knew that once I had the colour dye put on my hair I would have to take off my cochlear implant and the rest of the appointment (3 hours) I would be deaf. I was sure to tell the hairdresser everything I wanted before I took the CI off!
I had to start lip reading again and it was a challenge because I was looking in the mirror, reflection lip reading!
When the hairdresser had cut my hair and dried it, I put my CI back on while she styled my hair. I just had to keep an eye on those hot tongs to make sure she didn't melt my magnet. Whenever she ran the comb through my hair it would catch on my wire and pull the CI off.
We both survived the experience and and I was able to tick another thing off my "Deaf To Do List". I'm slowly ticking them all off and also crossing out the things that I can never do again (go through a fast food drive-thru for example!). x
