If you decide to make your hair less frizzy or straighter, you can opt for a hair straightening service from a professional stylist in the salon. Most hair straightening products release formaldehyde gas during processing, a known human carcinogen that has been classified into the air by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Formaldehyde exposure can cause short-term and long-term effects that may affect your health, and it is imperative to remove formaldehyde除甲醛.
What Happens During Hair Straightening?
Your stylist typically applies a hair-straightening or smoothing solution to your hair, followed by a heat treatment step. The solution is usually sealed into the hair using a flat iron device. When the solution is heated, the formaldehyde in the product is released into the air as a gas. If the salon is poorly ventilated, you, your stylist, and others in the salon are at risk of breathing in the released formaldehyde.
Why is exposure to formaldehyde dangerous?
When formaldehyde is released into the air at levels above 0.1 ppm, it can seriously irritate your eyes, nose, and lungs. It can also cause skin sensitivity or atopic dermatitis.
Formaldehyde exposure: potential short- and long-term effects?
In terms of time and concentration, the longer the exposure to formaldehyde-containing products, the higher the potential health risks. Individuals who have experienced formaldehyde exposure have described problems such as eye problems or irritation, neurological problems (eg, headache and dizziness), respiratory problems (sore throat or hoarseness, cough, wheezing), nausea, chest pain, vomiting, and rash. Chronic effects associated with formaldehyde may include increased prevalence of headaches, asthma, contact dermatitis (a red, itchy rash caused by direct exposure to a substance or an allergic reaction due to sensitization) and possibly cancer. It is important to note that some people are very sensitive to formaldehyde, while others do not respond to the same level of exposure.
