Noelle Foley Reveals Neck Injury That’s Kept Her Out Of Hair Salons For Over Three Years

Noelle Foley is opening up about a freak accident that’s completely changed her daily life — even down to the way she does her hair.

Speaking on the Rulebreakers podcast with Saraya, Foley revealed that she hasn’t been to a hair salon in over three years because of lingering neck damage that makes it painful and unsafe to use traditional salon sinks or have her head handled roughly. Instead, she’s been forced to take hair care into her own hands, literally.

Foley explained that the injury has left her unable to tolerate the typical head positioning required for salon services, so she’s learned to do her own color at home. She even experimented with bleach for the first time — but not on herself.

“Oh my gosh. I haven’t cut my hair in three and a half years… I haven’t been to the hair salon in general in three and a half years.”

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“Because of my head injury, I like can’t have people like touching my head aggressively and then that… the stupid sink that’s so uncomfortable in your neck. So, I’ve learned to do my own highlights, but I’m too scared to cut my hair.”

“My first time trying bleach was actually on my dad’s beard when he was turning into Santa. So, I was like, if something goes horribly wrong, at least it’ll be on my dad.”

The former Holy Foley star revealed the life-changing injury happened at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. Foley said she’s been riding roller coasters since first grade and often tackled the biggest rides with her WWE Hall of Famer dad, Mick Foley, without any issues. But one ride’s unusual layout created a dangerous whiplash-like motion that left her with chronic pain and symptoms she didn’t fully understand at the time.

“I was at Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee… I’ve been on so many roller coasters, like literally since first grade because I’ve been tall enough. I’ve been on the biggest roller coasters with my dad because we used to love them. Everything fine.”

“Then for some reason I go on this one and the way it was just laid out… this one went up, down, and immediately went back up. So it’s like your whole body is forcing forward and then immediately backwards. So it was my… my head hit really hard and my neck—something happened with my neck.”

The symptoms set in immediately after the ride.

“When I got off the roller coaster… I’ve never gotten a concussion before, or at least I don’t think I have. So I’m just like, ‘Wow, I feel so tired. Like, I want to go to sleep.’ So I just got a bunch of ice cubes and like put them all over my head and my neck and down my body just to like wake myself up… and I had a headache since that night until literally five and a half years later now.”

It took Foley two months to realize she’d suffered a concussion. Over the next few years, she visited around 50 doctors and physical therapists, underwent countless scans, and eventually got her answer through a digital motion X-ray. The diagnosis was rare and alarming: cranio-cervical instability with 10 torn ligaments in her neck.

“It took me about two months to realize that I had a concussion. I was just like, ‘This headache is not going away and I’m so sensitive to lights and sound and I feel all weird.’”

“I’ve been to like around 50 doctors between doctors and physical therapists… it wasn’t until I really started digging that I started getting answers and feeling better. I found out that I have a rare neck condition called cranio-cervical instability… I tore about 10 ligaments in my neck and because of those torn ligaments, it causes my neck to be unstable—like my head isn’t securely on my neck. Then all your other muscles are overcompensating, so those muscles are probably causing the headache.”

Despite the long road to answers, Foley continues to adapt her life around the injury — whether that means rethinking her hair care or managing daily pain.

Noelle Foley’s story is a reminder that even something as simple as a roller coaster ride can change your life in an instant, and the effects can be far more lasting than anyone might expect.

What do you think about Noelle Foley’s shocking roller coaster injury and how it’s still affecting her years later? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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