NIOSHTIC-2 Publications Search

Hair straightening with health risks.

Pechter E

SENSOR Occup Lung Dis Bull Winter 2011-2012; :1-2

http://www.mass.gov/eohhs/docs/dph/occupational-health/sensor-lung-disease-bulletins/winter2011-2012.pdf

20042624

Hair stylists who use keratin hair-smoothing treatments on their client's hair are at risk for exposure to formaldehyde, a known asthmagen and carcinogen. This Occupational Lung Disease Bulletin provides a summary of recent FDA and OSHA actions warning stylists and consumers about the health hazards associated with straightening hair treatments. Despite claims of being "formaldehyde free" many products have been documented to release formaldehyde to the salon environment. To date no cases of work-related asthma (WRA) associated with hair straightening have been reported in Massachusetts. However, nearly 20 confirmed WRA cases reported exposures to formaldehyde in a variety of industries, including healthcare, lumber mills, paper-making, plastics and jewelry box manufacture. If your patients are employed in salons, notify them about the risk of formaldehyde.

Hairdressers; Formaldehydes; Carcinogens; Occupational-health; Work-environment; Workers; Occupational-exposure; Respiratory-system-disorders; Pulmonary-system-disorders; Bronchial-asthma; Surveillance-programs; Health-hazards; Air-contamination; Indoor-air-pollution; Worker-health; Work-practices

Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Occupational Health Surveillance Program, 250 Washington Street, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02108

50-00-0

20111201

Other

Cooperative Agreement

2012

Cooperative-Agreement-Number-U60-OH-008490

SENSOR Occupational Lung Disease Bulletin

MA

Massachusetts State Department of Public Health