Appropriate Hairstyles for a Nurse

Hairstyle for a nurse
Photo: Wavebreakmedia/Shutterstock
Q: I just graduated as a nurse and I’m ready to apply for my first job. What are appropriate hairstyles for a nurse? I want a style that is comfortable yet still fashionable. My hair is long, but I’m willing to try new things and other hair lengths as well. My face shape is oval.
 
A: The two most important things to remember when a nurse is looking for a style is that their work requires intensively controlled hygiene, and they tend to have limited time or inclination to faff in the mirror before going to work. Their overall appearance also needs to be neat and clean, including their hair.
 
Nurses don’t have long, curling hair that bounce all over the place, because they can’t have strands of their hair landing up in patients’ food, wounds or equipment. Most nurses opt for styles that can be combed to the back with a fine-toothed comb and tied into a bun or tight ponytail.
 
Think about hairstyles that a ballerina would wear, and you’re on the right track. I know a nurse with the healthiest, longest blonde hair that I have ever seen. Her hair is in perfect condition because she applies a light conditioner in the morning after her shower, and doesn’t rinse the conditioner.
 
She then combs the hair back and secures her hair in a tight but fashionable bun. When the conditioner dries, the hair is perfectly secured and slicked down, while it is being moisturized and protected all throughout the day. She only uses heat styling methods when she goes out, thus her hair is incredibly long, healthy and nourished.
 
You can also opt to tie you hair to the back in a tight ponytail, and then curl the pony with a large barrel curling tong. This looks beautiful and can be worn in this style between washes for a few days if you have healthy, normal hair and no scalp issues.
 
Your other option is to cut the hair in a very short pixie cut. Have a look at the pixie styles favored by Emma Watson, Charlize Theron, Michelle Williams, and Anne Hathaway. These women have all mastered the very short yet supremely feminine pixie cut perfectly.
 
As you’re young and have an oval face, you’ll be able to get away with just about any long style or a short one. The short pixie cut will minimize the chances of your falling hair ever getting into places that it shouldn’t. Pixie cuts also tend to be very neat, very chic and easy to style, especially when you don’t have a lot of time or energy to get ready for work.
 
I would recommend sticking to either a style that is long enough to be tied back, or a style so short that it doesn’t need to be tied up. Styles such as A-line bobs, medium bobs or medium/short layers are probably not such a good idea as these tend to either get any person working in the medical field either into trouble or it’s just too much trouble to keep under control.
 
Whatever you decide on, I’m sure you’ll keep in mind that professional nurses work very long and emotionally as well as physically exhausting hours. There will be many times where spending time on your hair to look fashionable will be one of your lowest priorities.
 
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See also:
 
The right hairstyle for your lifestyle
 
How can I look feminine with a pixie?
 
What makes a hairstyle high maintenance or low maintenance?
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