Woman with wound from weave sewn too tightly fears she will be scarred for life

A trip to the hair salon turned into a 'horror story'

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We have all heard the adage that beauty is pain, and yes, many of us are accustomed to regularly enduring discomfort in the name of our beauty regimes. But no one expects their primping to leave them bleeding from a six-inch wound.

Helzie Amnell-Connor, 24, was left with a deep gash at her hairline after her weave wig was sewn in too tightly. She warns other weave-wearers to research reputable stylists, and not to ignore pain symptoms, after she found herself in “agony” in the weeks after her fitting.

Connor, an adult care support worker, paid £200 at a salon in Leeds to have a brunette-Brazilian wig weaved onto her natural hair just under a month ago. The procedure, which involves braiding the natural hair close to the head and threading the weave hair into it, took an hour to complete.

Despite voicing her concerns at the time of fitting that the wig felt too tight, she was told “you’ll get used to it”, and was advised to return to the salon after four weeks to have it checked. However, in the weeks that followed, the pain and tightness in her scalp increased.

Initially Connor disregarded the pain as she had been told it was normal, but on 20 April she awoke in agony at 4am. Her father managed to cut the threads attaching the wig to her hair, and they discovered that the band of the wig had dug into the front of her scalp, breaking the skin at her hairline.

Connor said: “I woke up with blood streaming down my face - it was like a horror movie.”

"I shouted for my dad and he managed to unthread my hair but the band of the wig had dug into my hairline. I was covered in blood - my whole body was."

At St James’s Hospital in Leeds, Connor was given painkillers and placed on an antibiotic drip. She was later advised by staff at Leeds General Infirmary that the wound was best left to self-heal, and should be treated with antibiotic cream to prevent infection.

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Connor now fears the wound will leave a scar. "If I knew that the pain was an indication something was wrong I would have done something about it sooner - I could be scarred for life now.

While weaves must be tightly sewn into close braided hair, they should never cause serious pain. It is important to speak up if you experience scalp pain or soreness while your weave is being fitted as your stylist may be unaware of how tight they are pulling. Pain from a weave that has been sewn in too tightly is not normal, and the stylist should never dismiss your concerns.

Connor now waits for further medical advice regarding scarring, and has said she will be taking legal advice over the work done to her hair. She said: "People should definitely read reviews before they visit a salon - this has really scared me. You trust these people as professionals but this has turned into a complete horror story."

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For Connor, who describes herself as a confident person who “used to like the way [she] looked”, the difficulty of hiding the wound on her hairline has left her afraid to leave her house.

She said: "I just want to raise awareness about this […] it's important for people to know this can happen. I like to be part of the glamour culture but it's not all about looks and you wonder if it's all worth it.”

Connor comments that while her weave horror story has left her shaken, “it could be a lot worse - I've heard about women going bald after a bad weave.” Indeed, extremely tight sew-in hair extensions and weaves can cause permanent damage to the hair follicle and traction alopecia.

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However, while Connor’s story may be a cautionary tale, it is worth remembering that a weave can actually be a protective hair style when fitted correctly. A well-fitted weave allows you to be experimental with your look without causing styling damage to your natural hair. With proper care it can protect your hair from heat damage and the outside elements, and so can actually promote hair growth.