Woman Wakes Up From Surgery With Braids. The Surgeon Did It Himself To Prevent Shaving Her Head

July 3, 2020

A woman in North Carolina went to sleep before surgery with two braids and woke up with six.

A tweet about a surgeon putting his patient's hair in braids before her surgery has gone viral, with many people commending the doctor for his care and foresight in making her recovery period easier.

surgeon braids patients hair before surgery
Dr. Jewel Greywoode / India Marshall

On June 9, India Marshall had surgery with Dr. Jewel Greywoode for benign bone growths known as osteomas. She told Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat Associates (CEENTA) that on the first day after her surgery, she touched her head and felt braids underneath her bandages.

It wasn't until the second day, when she took off the bandages, that she saw them herself. She assumed the nurses had done them.

"Having my hair in braids made everything easier for recovery, especially since I have a lot of hair and wear it naturally," Marshall told CEENTA. "I didn't think anything about it until I went to my post-op appointment and Dr. Greywoode mentioned he did my braids."

Marshall shared her story in a June 24 tweet that has since gone viral, racking up nearly 600,000 likes on Twitter.

"So y'all know how I said I woke up from surgery w/more braids in my head than I came in w/and I thought it was the black nurses? I found out today at my post op appt that the surgeon (he's black) did it. He said he has 3 little girls & they have wash day… I almost cried," Marshall tweeted.

Dr. Greywoode said he has been overwhelmed and appreciative of the responses to the tweet.

He said he normally does his best to move his patients' hair out of the way to avoid shaving their head, and when long enough, braiding is the best method.

"Nobody wants part or all of their hair shaved, especially women," Greywoode said.