A hair tourniquet (sometimes called hair-thread tourniquet) happens when one or more strands of hair or a thread wrap tightly around a child's body part — usually a toe, but it also can happen to a finger or the genitals (the penis in boys or the clitoris or labia in girls). The hair tourniquet blocks some of the blood flow and causes redness and swelling past where the hair is wrapped. It is usually very painful.

Your health care provider removed the hair tourniquet and checked to make sure the area is OK. You can now care for your child at home.

Follow your health care provider's advice about:

• Any medicines your child needs, such as an antibiotic or skin ointment.
• Any special instructions for cleaning the area.
• Giving your child acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) as needed for pain. Don't give ibuprofen to babies under 6 months old. Follow the directions on the label for how much to give and how often.
• When to follow up.

To help with swelling:

• Keep the area raised above the level of the heart as much as possible. You can try propping the area up on a pillow or on your arm or chest while you hold your child. If your child is under 2 years old, don't put any pillows in their crib since this can be dangerous.
• If the hair tourniquet was on a finger or toe, encourage your child to gently move the area around to help with blood flow. 

Your child:

• Has new or worsening redness, swelling, warmth, or drainage coming from the area
• Has bleeding in the affected area
• Gets another hair tourniquet

How do hair tourniquets happen? They usually happen in babies when hair from a caretaker falls onto the baby and the normal wiggling of the baby causes the hair to wrap around a finger, toe, or other body part. Sometimes an older child might wrap a hair or thread around a body part on purpose and then not be able to remove it.

What happens if a hair tourniquet is not treated? If someone has a hair tourniquet for a long time, it can lead to a lot of swelling and make it harder for the health care provider to remove it. If the hair tourniquet completely blocks blood flow, it can cause permanent damage to the area.