Brazilian Hair-Straightening Product May Endanger Stylists, Clients

A popular hair-straightening product can pose a health threat to hairstylists and their customers, researchers say.

The Brazilian Blowout Acai Professional Smoothing Hair Solution could expose people to potentially dangerous levels of the cancer-causing chemical formaldehyde, according to the study in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. One study at The University of California, Berkeley found that using Brazilian Blowout, without proper engineering controls like local exhaust ventilation, could expose hairdressers and their clients to formaldehyde at levels above the short-term occupational exposure limits.

Researcher conducted the study and found out that formaldehyde concentrations in the air around hairstylists and customers exceeded limits set by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. The findings appear in the August issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene. While installing local exhaust ventilation is a traditional exposure control, that solution may not be feasible in small salons due to the cost of ventilation systems, permits, installations, ongoing maintenance and efficacy checks. The recommendation is that salons use products containing no more than 0.1 percent formaldehyde, but the Brazilian product they investigated contained 12 percent formaldehyde, the researchers added. Symptoms that have been reported by hairstylists when using hair-straightening treatments such as Brazilian Blowout include watery eyes, runny nose, upper respiratory tract irritation and nosebleeds. The product is available in more than 6,000 salons within the United States, according to the news release.