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In January 2014, a woman in San Diego, California, went to a local salon to get her hair done. What happened next sounds like the most nightmarish of urban legends: the angle and degree she was tilted in the chair and the way her head tipped back over the sink while the stylist was washing her hair caused Elizabeth Smith to have a stroke two weeks later: The danger is real, although the probability of it happening is low. A study that came out in 1993, subsequently covered by the New York Times, found that older people have a higher risk of a stroke during or after a visit to the beauty salon (Smith was in her late 40s at the time): A 2006 study also looked into the issue, saying while it probably occurred more than previously thought, the risk of stroke in these cases was easily alleviated: Dr. Scott Olson, a vascular neurologist at the University of California, San Diego, told us that while he hasn't seen this specific case, he has seen this particular injury (more commonly called a vertebral artery dissection, which can lead to subsequent clotting and stroke) and it's not unprecedented: He says there are signs to watch for after a potential injury: Elizabeth Smith says she racked up $250,000 in medical bills and has permanently lost part of her vision and mobility. She is now suing the salon for damages. On 30 March 2016, we spoke to Smith. She told us:
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