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How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:25 pm
by SleepingUgly
Anyone have any good recommendations for how to remove that goop that is put in the hair during sleep studies? To my memory, it didn't come out well even with washing several times.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop in hair

Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:29 pm
by steelheadid
I was told to use rubbing alcohol and it worked for the most part, but I did find I was still combing out small bits for week.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop in hair

Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:36 pm
by montana user
do you know what they used? One lab I worked in actually used a glue ( the stuff movie actors use for fake beards,etc) and I know use the same paste I put on the electrodes, holds the wires on. If its the glue the best thing is conditioner. Let it sit for at least 5 min. We used non-acetone finger nail polish remover to loosen the glue, so if its still there after the shower, try polish remover. If its the paste, then one good shampoo should do the trick. I'm sure there are other gels, glue's that are used, but those are the two I have worked with.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:38 pm
by Muse-Inc
Hey is the gritty white stuff glue or paste? The gritty stuff cost me a bunch of hair and I had (and have) none to spare so I was pretty upset over losing what little I still have. Us cats hate anything that messes with our fur

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Thu Mar 25, 2010 9:38 pm
by montana user
Its a paste that gets hard like glue. sorry you lost hair over it, we try not to do that.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 6:58 am
by Komodo
SleepingUgly wrote:Anyone have any good recommendations for how to remove that goop that is put in the hair during sleep studies? To my memory, it didn't come out well even with washing several times.
Peanutbutter

Massage LARGE globs of it into your hair, really work it in well. Let it set for a few minutes to "soak" into the hair, then shampoo everything out. Comb your hair and any glue globs left should comb right out easily with no problem.

I had to do that several times when my kids were little and had gum, or glue, stuck in their hair. Worked like a charm everytime!

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 8:50 am
by Rustyolddude
The lab I was at provided some kind of liquid body wash, it was similar to Phisoderm , not very 'soapy' and didn't have a fragrance. Anyway, the key tip I was told was to use the hottest water that you can stand as the goop is heat activated.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:10 am
by BleepingBeauty
I've had five sleep studies done in three different labs. I've only ever had the white goop applied (like the paste montana user referenced above) to the leads on my head.

FWIW, I've found that if I let the hot water in the shower run over my hair for several minutes before I start shampooing, the goop loosens up a bit. Three shampoos will remove the vast majority of the residue, and then a comb works well to remove whatever bits are still stuck to my scalp.

*Peanut butter probably works very well, but I only ever buy the chunky variety.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:46 am
by pdean44
Hmm since i keep my hair sort of short it came out with a bit of good scrubbing and shampoo for me.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 9:48 am
by pam933
The first sleep study I did used something that came out when I washed my hair.

The second one used some kind of glue that would not come out (even after sitting with conditioner in my hair for 1/2 hour).

I ended up using a combination of one of those really fine-toothed combs that people use to get lice out and just scratching it out with my nails. I have long hair so it took forever, but that comb really helped.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 3:19 pm
by neverbetter
yes...it's paste and alcohol will remove it. Rubbing or Jack Daniels. Both work.Or, drink the Jack Daniels and use the rubbing alcohol to remove the hair lead paste...
If you have seizures, they did use glue for the leasd, not paste.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:41 pm
by bearded_two
For my first sleep study, they used collodion to cement the leads in place; ether or acetone (nail polish remover) will remove most of it, the rest can be combed or brushed out. For my second sleep study they used a thick, messy paste that the technician said could be easily washed out with hot water and shampoo; the problem is that the sleep clinic did not have any hot water in the shower -- it was between cool and lukewarm. I had to go into work without a shower, wearing a ball cap to cover up the paste in my hair.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:58 pm
by BlackSpinner
My daughter when she was 3 had high fever with seizures so they did some tests. To mark the place to put the electrodes they used a green/blue crayon. Getting the paste out wasn't a problem but the crayon ran in her very blond hair and she had blue/green streaks for weeks.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 11:52 am
by SleepingUgly
I think they will use collodion. I understand from the internet that there is a collodion remover, but it seems like overkill for me to buy it... Wouldn't they have it there and be using that to get it off my hair? Who knows.

Re: How to remove sleep study goop from hair

Posted: Sat Apr 17, 2010 2:28 pm
by base2balls
When I had mine done, they used some kind of a gel stuff that dries clear but still goopy in my hair. It was green. They told me to stand in the shower under the hottest water I could stand to get it out. So I did that and stood there for a few minutes and then washed my hair real well with the shapoo/body wash they had in the dispensor in the shower and it came out. Not a problem and no other bits and pieces of gel to comb out. Have a great day, Huggies, Fay