Health and beauty

Can you help us stop epilepsy being a barrier to health and beauty?

Nothing relaxing about this yoga class

Last month Nicole contacted an adult education centre in London about yoga classes. This followed a tip-off from an Epilepsy Action accredited volunteer, that some of their yoga classes were closed to people with epilepsy. The centre said that they excluded people with epilepsy from some yoga classes, based on guidance set by yoga schools like Iyengar and the British Wheel of Yoga.

Our investigation found that this was not the case. The British Wheel of Yoga explained that their yoga classes are open to people with epilepsy. They also do not ask people with epilepsy to provide a GP’s letter to take part in general yoga classes. The British Wheel of Yoga stated that their yoga instructors are epilepsy-aware too. So if you did have a seizure, their instructors would be able to provide basic first aid if necessary. The British Wheel of Yoga also offered to work with Epilepsy Action to provide a public statement on the safety of yoga for people with epilepsy.

Nothing relaxing about this spa

A colleague had also recently spoken to a woman who was refused treatment at a spa, because she has epilepsy.

The spa staff knew that the use of some essential oils should be avoided in people with epilepsy, as they might trigger a seizure. However the staff should have offered to provide a massage using oils that aren’t associated with a risk of seizure.

In this case the woman was refused several other beauty treatments, but didn’t tell us which treatments. There are many health and beauty treatments that are as safe for people with epilepsy, as for those without epilepsy. For example sun beds, electrolysis/laser hair removal, waxing, light treatment, jacuzzi baths or Indian head massage.

Piercing the barrier against ear piercing

We were contacted by the mother of a 16-year-old girl with epilepsy who had tried to get her ears pierced at a major jewellery retailer. It is their policy not to pierce the ears of people with epilepsy unless they can provide a doctor’s note approving the procedure. We wrote to the retailer to ask for clarification on this policy and were contacted very quickly by the managing director of a company called Studex UK Ltd. Studex UK Ltd is responsible for the ear piercing service offered by most of the global ear piercing outlets.

The managing director came and met with us and listened to our argument for why we believe epilepsy should not be a reason to refuse ear piercing to anyone. He has now agreed to set the ball rolling for a change in policy. This may take some time but is a very positive step for removing unnecessary barriers for people with epilepsy. If only improving health services could be so simple!

How you can help us remove these barriers

To help us to decide if we need to re-launch our 2007 health and beauty
campaign, we need your help. Please email ncrosby@epilepsy.org.uk if in the past year, you have been denied access to beauty treatments or classes such as yoga, because of your epilepsy.

Please email the name of the spa, beauticians or fitness centre (web address if possible), details of which treatments you were refused, and the reason given. While we can’t usually take action on individual cases, a large response would show that a national awareness campaign on this issue is needed.