Hair Styling Products Trigger Hair Loss Warning

A consumer watchdog organisation in Australia has warned that some hair products on sale there can result in hair loss, as well as breathing difficulties and skin irritation.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has said it has found hair treatment products on the market which contain dangerous levels of formaldehyde.

Peter Kell, the deputy chairman of the ACCC, stated: “We have had complaints from customers who have received hair loss, suffered skin sensitivity and itchiness.” He went on to reveal that the organisation had “received complaints from salon workers, who not surprisingly are concerned the products they use on a daily basis may pose significant health risks.”

The hair treatments in question were chemical-based hair straightening formulas, spanning a variety of brands. According to the ACCC some of them contained as much as 20 times the safe limit of formaldehyde. Most of these products have now been recalled, but the watchdog is warning both salons and consumers to check the amount of formaldehyde contained in any hair straightening products they may use.

High levels of formaldehyde linked to hair loss

This is not the first time that hair products have been found to contain unacceptable levels of formaldehyde, which is commonly used as a preservative. In the US, the Food and Drug Administration is currently investigating a number of hair straightening products which are known to contain high levels of the substance.

One particular product, Brazilian Blowout, is the subject of a number of lawsuits from women in the US who say that their hair fell out and they experienced scarring after using the product. The product, which was intended to be used to straighten frizzy or damaged hair, is currently being investigated by authorities in the US. In the state of Oregon last year, the Oregon Safety & Health Division issued a warning to salons and consumers not to use the product, and claimed that their tests had revealed it to contain as much as 10 percent formaldehyde. It was labelled as being free of formaldehyde.

Chemicals and hair loss

When using products of any kind on your hair it’s important to be aware what’s in them. But it’s not just products which contain dangerous levels of chemicals which can result in hair loss. When overused on a regular basis, hair colouring treatments, dyes and bleaches can lead to a hair loss condition called Traction Alopecia. This occurs when overtreatment with chemicals drains the moisture out of hair and otherwise damages it, leaving it dry, brittle and prone to breakage.

Many image-conscious celebrities have been reported as losing patches of hair due to Traction Alopecia after regularly changing their hair colour or over-styling it, such as Katie Price, Lady Gaga and Naomi Campbell.

Help for hair loss

If you fear that you may be losing your hair due to a hair product then you should immediately discontinue using it and seek medical advice.

For expert help in nursing your hair back to health and re-growing it, contact The Belgravia Centre for a free, no-obligation consultation. If you are not local to our London hair loss clinic, you can fill in our online diagnostic form instead for a home-use treatment programme that we can post anywhere in the world.