+
upworthy
Identity

Woman’s experience scheduling an EEG highlights the unconscious bias of textured hair

Though her scalp was exposed for the procedure, they still insisted she take her twists out, making it harder to get to her scalp.

EEG; Black hair; protective hairstyles; unconscious bias; medical bias

Woman can't schedule EEG due to unconscious textured hair bias.

Getting a medical procedure done can be scary, or at the very least nerve-wracking, no matter how many times you've had it done. It's something that's outside of your normal routine and you're essentially at the mercy of the medical facility and providers. Most of the time, the pre-procedure instructions make sense, and if something catches you by surprise, it's usually easily explained.

Sadé Naima recently had an experience while attempting to get an EEG that wasn't easily explained away. In fact, the entire situation didn't make sense to the TikTok creator who experiences migraines. Naima uploaded a video to the social media platform explaining the sequence of events that happened after her doctor referred her to receive an MRI and EEG.

An MRI uses a magnetic field to generate images and an EEG uses electrodes that stick to your scalp to create images of your brain waves.


Since Naima was having consistent migraines, it seemed like a medical necessity to have these tests done to make sure nothing more serious was going on. So imagine the patient's surprise when the pre-procedure paperwork for the EEG mentioned that her hair had to be loose, which at first glance may seem harmless and inclusive of everyone. But, kinky textured hair does not have the same effect as straight hair when it's "loose."

"I received a document saying to prepare for the EEG—I can't have weave, braids, no hair oil, no conditioner, like nothing in your hair," Naima explains. "And how as a Black woman that is so exclusionary for coarse and thick hair. To literally have no product in your hair and show up with it loose, you're not even reaching my scalp with that."

@sadenaima

update: someone else from the medical center called me & suggested i show my hair to/talk with the technician so tbd i guess ... It's 2023, this makes no sense that the technology isn't inclusive or that the practioners aren't educated / prepared for diverse experiences. Not too much on the appearance 😂 #migraine #eeg #eegblackhair #blackhair #nyc #neurology #racialbiasinmedicine #racialbias #fyp #foryoupage

When kinky textured hair is "loose" without product, this generally means the hair is in an afro, which makes the scalp extremely difficult to get to without the use of a tool to part it and hold it out of the way. Naima called the facility for clarification and explained that her hair is currently in twists with her scalp exposed. She assured the woman on the other end that she would make sure her hair was clean and free of product, but that it would be easier for everyone involved if her hair remained in twists.

Naima went as far as to send an email with multiple pictures of her hair showing that her scalp was indeed easily accessible with her protective style in place. But the unnamed woman told her that it wasn't possible for the EEG to be completed if Naima's hair was in twists. This prompted the question, "What about people with locs?" to which the person told her they also wouldn't be able to get the procedure.

@sadenaima

I sent out an email to the center & their HR and will see where that takes me to start! Thank you everyone! 🧡 i love that this has been able to help & inspire people. #racialbias #medicalracialbias #minitwists #migraine #eegblackhair #eegnaturalhair #neurology #locs #eeg #fyp

The frustrated patient searched the internet looking for the best way to have an EEG with kinky textured hair when she came across information written by a Black doctor who was also trying to find an answer. Currently, there doesn't seem to be much information on how to appropriately give an EEG if the patient has textured hair, though many protective styles provide the direct access to the scalp needed for the procedure.

So, while policies like these aren't meant to be discriminatory, it's clear that they may cause some unintended problems. In the end, Naima's EEG was rescheduled, but after speaking to the technician that completes the procedure, she was assured her hair would not be an issue. Hopefully, the results of her EEG are favorable and she has a much more pleasant experience when preparing for the procedure.


Time travel back to 1905.

Back in 1905, a book called "The Apples of New York" was published by the New York State Department of Agriculture. It featured hundreds of apple varieties of all shapes, colors, and sizes, including Thomas Jefferson's personal favorite, the Esopus Spitzenburg.






Keep ReadingShow less
Health

Gen Xer explains sense of 'impending doom' that seems to define the Millennial generation

Somebody finally put it into words and a lot of Millenials are feeling seen.

A woman looks to the ground in dispair.

At the end of his YouTube video “Does Anyone Else Feel Like Everything Has Changed?” self-development influencer Stephen Antonioni makes a rather haunting observation: "In many ways, the world is a better place than it was yesterday, just judging by objective measures. But I can't help share the feeling that something is off and perhaps terribly so. And therefore, I have to ask the question: Does anyone else feel like everything has changed?"

The most popular comment on the video, which was liked over 28,000 times was written by a YouTuber named Tracy Smith. Even though, at 57, she’s a Gen Xer, her thoughts have resonated with thousands of Millenials.

“I am 57. Not only does it feel like ‘something wicked this way comes’ but there is also this feeling that the whole world is holding its breath. Almost as though we are all waiting for some catalyst or sign or event that puts an end to this feeling of being put on hold,” Smith wrote. “This vague, unexplained unease we feel. Something terrible lurking just out of our field of vision but we all feel it closing in. I cannot count the number of people who have told me they wish that whatever is going to happen would just get on with it. That this waiting for the thing in the darkness is unbearable.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Melissa Pateras explains how dry cleaning works.


Have you ever wondered what happens at the dry cleaners? Or are you like me, who just assumed the people at the dry cleaners were wizards and never questioned their magic? Turns out, dry cleaners aren't magic and there's actually a pretty interesting explanation of how they came to be and what they do.

Melissa Pateras is known on Tiktok for her laundry knowledge. Seriously, her ability to fold laundry is hypnotizing. This time, she created a video explaining what actually takes place at the dry cleaner and the internet is aghast.

Before Pateras explained what happens in the mysterious world behind the counter of a dry cleaner, she asked a few of her friends what they thought dry cleaning was. Their answers were...interesting to say the least.

One friend surmised, "You put it in a box, right...and then you let some wind, really fast wind, blow around on your clothes and it wipes off all the dirt." The friend, whose username is @unlearn16, continued with her working hypothesis, saying that the clothes are then blasted with infrared heat to sterilize the garments. While that is certainly an interesting theory, that's not what happens.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

Doberman's blissful reaction while getting pampered at bathtime goes viral

This "scary" dog's next-level beauty routine proves there's nothing scary about him at all.

Representative Image from Canva

May this adorable video show that Doberman's don't deserve their bad reputation.

Let’s face it, Hollywood has given Doberman’s a bad reputation. So often they are depicted as the canine henchman to the evil villain, that many people assume that’s their temperament in real life.

But the truth is: like just about every dog on the planet, Dobermans are sweet, loyal and affectionate canine companions. And, much like Pit Bulls, they are not nearly as inherently aggressive as pop culture makes them out to be—especially when properly trained.

I mean, just take a look at Atlas. This goodest of good bois recently went viral on TikTok while getting a nice, relaxing bathtime session. He proved that not only are Doberman’s capable of extreme levels of chill, they can have a deep felt appreciation for some good old fashioned pampering.

Keep ReadingShow less
Photo by Gustavo Fring|Canva

Therapists explains being 'touched out' and gives tips to help

Just about every mother has experienced the feeling of being touched out. They may not know that's what it's called, or some may feel embarrassed to admit they're feeling that way due to fear of judgement. But when you think about it, being touched out, especially when you have younger kids seems inevitable.

The sense of your body not belonging to only you can start during pregnancy. Everything you do directly affects your developing fetus, and once the baby is born, it needs a lot of physical contact for proper brain, social, and emotional development. So babies are held a lot outside of feedings. Those babies turn into toddlers who then turn into early school agers, all of whom rely very heavily on co-regulation of their emotions and being physically near their parent to feel safe.

It's pretty much a constant state of being touched throughout much of the day. When psychologist, Dr. Raquel Martin reveals she too feels touched out in a video on Instagram, parents across the internet felt validated.

Keep ReadingShow less

No better time to grab a little shut eye.

For those in the military, sleep can mean the difference between life and death. But shut-eye can be very hard to come by, especially during active conflict.

According to Sharon Ackman, the U.S. Navy Pre-Flight School developed a scientific method to help its pilots fall asleep. Through this technique, 96% of the pilots were able to fall asleep in two minutes or less.

Keep ReadingShow less