We’ve long been informed that the Brazilian Blowout and similar treatments were potentially dangerous if they contained formaldehyde-but it turns out the danger doesn’t end there!
Warnings issued by several state agencies to salon owners and workers indicate that even “formaldehyde free” versions of these treatments can actually release formaldehyde. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) conducted salon air tests and found high levels of formaldehyde, with some cases that were well above health standards.
This is dangerous to salon-goers, but even more so to stylists. According to the hazard alert from OSHA, in many cases “salon owners did not know that a hair smoothing product contained or could expose workers to formaldehyde because manufacturers, importers, and distributors did not include the correct warnings on product information.”
Formaldehyde, which is long known to be dangerous, can cause symptoms ranging from eye irritation and skin allergies to, potentially, more serious concerns such as nose and lung cancer.
This is scary news! Do you think it will make you less likely to try these treatments?
