Women with frizzy curly hair who are considering using a Brazilian Blowout--listen up. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released an alert, posted April 11, 2011 on their website, that they are investigating reports of severe health hazards as a result of formaldehyde exposure coming from the hair straightening treatment.
Formaldehyde has long been known to be a dangerous chemical and was “labeled a human carcinogen” most recently by a National Academy of Sciences panel.
“Formaldehyde-based hair straighteners present a particular danger to salon workers who apply blow driers and 450-degree flatirons to chemical-coated hair,” an Environmental Working Group (EWG) investigation said. Because of these health dangers, hair straightening products using formaldehyde have been banned in Australia, Ireland, Canada, France, Germany and Cyprus.
Over the past two years, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has received 47 complaints of adverse reactions reported by salon workers and clients who received Brazilian Blowout treatments. The EWG, a voluntary organization dedicated to bringing out information to protect the public’s health, reviewed the complaints and has stepped up to take action.
The EWG reported on their website that women experienced symptoms such as difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting, allergic reactions, blisters developing on the scalp, hair loss and ulcers in the mouth. Despite these complaints, the FDA still has not put out firm warnings to limit the product’s use and continues to take a “wait and see” approach. The EWG also believes that the actual incidence of side effects is far greater since reporting to the FDA is voluntary.
Some salon owners claimed they have not used formaldehyde-based solutions, but in reality, they were just passing along erroneous information told to them by the manufacturer. The EWG found that 15 out of 16 manufacturers who claimed their products had little to no formaldehyde actually had substantial amounts of formaldehyde, up to 11.8 percent. See www.ewg.org/hair-straighteners/our-report/hair-straighteners-that-hide-formaldehyde/ to learn about which brands tested positive.
Salon owners are bound by OSHA regulations to protect their workers from exposure to potentially harmful chemicals. If solutions of over one percent formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasing chemicals are used or if salon workers complain of symptoms, then salon owners are required to provide health protection actions as specified by OSHA.
To limit the danger to their workers, OSHA.gov recommends that salon owners avoid using products that contain “formalde- hyde, formalin, methylene glycol, or any of the other names for formaldehyde listed on the label or in the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).” If formaldehyde solutions are used, ventilation systems must be installed, workers should be given respirators if needed and temperatures should be lowered in hair dryers and flat irons.
There are a few alternatives to the Brazilian Blowout, which runs $250 to $600 per session, and similar formaldehyde salon hair straightening treatments. Flat irons are an old standby method and are the only method without a chemical risk. Brazilian blowout ZERO is possibly safer as it uses glycolic acid and solutions that break hair bonds using sulfites and bisulfites that may be less hazardous.
There are no specific laws that protect the public from this exposure, which is one reason why the EWG feels so strongly that the dangers of formaldehyde be known. “EWG has filed a citizen petition that asks FDA to draft regulations regarding formaldehyde in hair straighteners, to protect the health of salon workers and clients,” ewg.org said.
Sources:
www.osha.gov/SLTC/formaldehyde/hazard_alert.html
www.safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=811
www.ewg.org/hair-straighteners
Michele is an R.N. freelance writer with a special interest in woman’s healthcare and quality of care issues. Other articles by Michele are at www.helium.com/users/487540/show_articles