Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) in hairdressing: what are they?

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As a hairdressing professional, you know that musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) pose a long-term risk to both you and your staff. Repetitive movements, a lack of breaks, pressure on certain parts of the body, working in an awkward posture (bending over, etc.)… All of these factors contribute to the development of these disorders, which can become serious and/or cause long-term disability if nothing is done to address them.

Dedicated to supporting hairdressing professionals, My Salon de Coiffure is committed to providing you with solutions to help you avoid developing MSDs

What are musculoskeletal disorders?

MSDs can also be described as “joint injuries caused by repetitive work”, which says a great deal about their origin and how they develop. These disorders are not unique to the hairdressing industry, but affect all workplaces. They encompass a range of conditions whose common feature is discomfort or total or partial paralysis of one or more parts of the body. Muscles, tendons and nerves (or ‘soft tissues’) are particularly affected. Tendinitis is a form of MSD, as is carpal tunnel syndrome.

However, other types of disorders exist: for example, back pain can develop in people who adopt poor sitting posture. Similarly, discomfort or inflammation can affect the forearms in people who frequently type on a computer keyboard. It should be noted that MSDs are the most common occupational illnesses. They are recognised by the French social security system. If they are not taken into account in the organisation of work, they can lead to periods of sick leave of varying lengths and have a very negative impact on the overall organisation.

MSDs among hairdressers

For hairdressers, the most common pain is felt in the fingers, wrists, elbows and back, which are the areas most heavily used during work. According to the National Centre for Hairdressing Businesses, musculoskeletal disorders account for around half of all recognised occupational illnesses among hairdressers, ahead of allergies. Back pain is particularly common and can

A study carried out by CARSAT Nord-Picardie in 2011 revealed that employees in the hairdressing sector were:

  • younger than the average for most employees;
  • less likely to suffer work-related accidents;
  • but more prone to occupational illnesses, particularly MSDs. The wrists, hands and shoulders are most commonly affected. The majority of these conditions appear between the ages of 35 and 45, but they can also affect people under 35 and even under 25.

It is therefore essential to take the risk of MSDs into account in any hairdressing salon, and to apply to yourself the same precautions you require of your staff. To assist you, our company has compiled a range of solutions to help you prevent musculoskeletal disorders. Discover these solutions in our article ‘Preventing MSDs in Hairdressing’. You can also find out how our professional hairdressing furniture helps protect your staff.