A nutrition dietitian, child care specialist, homeopathic pharmacist, and trained yoga teacher—nominated for the Padma Bhushan National Award and honoured by the Punjab and Himachal Pradesh governments—has warned about the serious health risks of hair-straightening products.
According to a hospital report, a 17-year-old girl undergoing a hair-straightening treatment was admitted to Share Zedek Medical Center due to severe kidney failure. Another 25-year-old woman suffered kidney failure about a month ago after using similar treatments. The girl experienced vomiting, dizziness, and severe headaches, requiring prolonged hospitalization in the pediatric department.
A 2023 study led by Professor Linda Shaivit and Dr. Elon Benaya from the Nephrology Institute documented 26 women aged 14–58 who had no prior illnesses but were admitted to emergency departments with serious kidney failure after using glyoxylic acid-based hair-straightening treatments. Following these findings, the Ministry of Health revoked licenses for dozens of such cosmetic products.
Expert Safety Recommendations
- Do not apply hair-straightening products directly to the scalp or hair roots; maintain at least 1.5 cm distance.
- Avoid heating the product; follow manufacturer instructions strictly.
- When buying online, always check the ingredients list; do not use products with missing ingredient details.
- Avoid products listing formaldehyde, formalin, or methylene glycol on the label, as these release formaldehyde gas when heated.
Why Formaldehyde Exposure Is Dangerous
Formaldehyde gas released in poorly ventilated salons can irritate eyes, nose, and lungs, trigger allergic skin reactions, and may cause long-term health effects including headaches, asthma, dermatitis, and potentially cancer. Short-term symptoms include nausea, chest pain, coughing, rash, dizziness, and vomiting.
The expert emphasized that both salon workers and clients are at risk if proper ventilation and precautions are not followed, and that repeated or high exposure increases health hazards significantly.
