Warning: Hair Straightening Products May Produce Formaldehyde

According to research by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and associated parties, some hair straightening products may produce formaldehyde. The FDA recently issued a warning letter to the importer and distributor of Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Solution, claiming that the product contained methylene glycol. This chemical can prompt the release formaldehyde when it is used, despite the fact that the company claimed that the product was formaldehyde free.

The OSHA programs are still investigating the dangers of formaldehyde exposure in salons. Allegedly, hair smoothing products like Brazilian Blowouts and Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy can carry formaldehyde or produce formaldehyde at levels that could be dangerous. This is especially true for salon workers who are working with these hair smoothing treatments every day. OSHA tested the air at various salons while hairstylists were applying blowout and smoothing treatments and discovered that he formaldehyde level went up. This even happened when the workers used products that claimed they were formaldehyde free.

Air tests in many salons showed that the formaldehyde level exceeded the OSHA’s limits for use in salons. The administration has already reached out to many product manufacturers to discuss the false labeling on packages and the danger of formaldehyde exposure. The first reports about this issue surfaced when a salon worker in Oregon said that he was suffering from nosebleeds, eye irritation, and had trouble breathing every time he performed a Brazilian Blowout treatment on a client. Salon workers are exposed to formaldehyde through inhalation, eye contact or skin contact. As well, those that eat food or touch their face after using a formaldehyde product can suffer from these same symptoms.

Formaldehyde is considered a sensitizer which means that it can cause serious allergic reactions of the skin, eyes and lungs. Victims may experience asthma-like symptoms or skin rashes after exposure. It is also a cancer hazard. If you are a salon worker who has been exposed to high levels of formaldehyde then you need to talk to a New York personal injury lawyer for representation. You may be able to seek compensation from an employer or a product manufacturer who put you in danger. Learn more by contacting Greenberg & Stein today!