 "How safe is your hair straightening cream? It damaged a woman’s kidney")
Women have been using hair straightening procedures for a long time now.
However, they are unaware that the products may be detrimental to their health.
An unfortunate incident involved a woman who had hair straightening treatment at a salon and developed kidney damage as a result.
The New England Journal of Medicine released a case study in which doctors detailed the woman’s experience.
Let’s take a closer look.
The case
According to the doctors, the 26-year-old woman — whose identity has not been disclosed — went to the salon in June 2020, April 2021, and July 2022 to get the popular hair treatment.
The woman had never suffered any health problems before, yet she would get back pain, fever, vomiting, and diarrhoea following every visit.
According to Live Science which cited the study, she also had burning sensations on her scalp and developed ulcers on her head during treatment.
Her blood creatinine levels were elevated, which led the doctors to conclude that she had a kidney malfunction.
Doctors asked that the woman get a CT scan since she had blood in her urine, but the scan revealed no further infection symptoms and no blockage in her kidneys.
The culprit in the hair product
The woman informed the doctors that glyoxylic acid, a chemical included in straightening creams, had been used to treat her hair.
The doctors concluded that this was probably the reason for the burn and ulcer on her scalp.
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More ShortsThey theorised that the acid entered her body through her skin and made its way to her kidneys, where it was broken down and caused damage, based on experiments done on mice.
Five mice were applied the straightening product on their backs for the trial, while five other mice received petroleum jelly for the same treatment. The microscopic crystals discovered in mice’s urine resembled those discovered in humans who had inadvertently consumed ethylene glycol, a hazardous toxin. Many items we use at home or at work, including antifreeze, contain this chemical.
In comparison to other mice, mice subjected to a hair product within 28 hours had greater blood levels of a chemical called creatinine. Their kidneys had a lot more calcium monohydrate than the mice who received petroleum jelly.
According to the study, the woman experienced repeated episodes of acute kidney damage as a result of oxalate nephropathy, a rare condition in which kidney function is reduced as a result of calcium oxalate crystals accumulating in renal tubules.
It went on to say that the processes used to straighten hair offer proof that glyoxylic acid is to blame.
“It would seem wise to ban the use of glyoxylic acid in these products and request that manufacturers find another, safer compound,” Dr Joshua David King, an associate professor of medicine and pharmacy at the University of Maryland, told Live Science.
The use of glyoxylic acid
Formaldehyde is a hazardous chemical that, when heated, can be released into the air and was frequently found in hair straightening products in the past. The inhalation of formaldehyde may result in side effects including nausea, wheezing, and a burning feeling in the nose and eyes.
If someone is exposed to high dosages or for extended periods, it may also raise their chance of getting some cancers.
As an active ingredient in these kinds of hair treatments, formaldehyde has been banned in Brazil, Canada, and the European Union; the FDA in the US is anticipated to follow suit in April 2024.
Glyoxylic acid has recently been used in hair straightening products as formaldehyde’s potentially safer substitute. Anecdotal evidence suggests that these products might be linked to kidney damage, though.
In a recent study, for instance, 11 of the 26 patients in Israel who suffered kidney damage had used products containing glycolic acid derivatives, a substance broken down in the liver into glyoxylic acid, as per India Today.
Hair straightening and other health risks
Since the 1890s, hair straightening has been a popular hairstyle method that involves flattening and straightening hair to give it a sleek, streamlined, and smooth appearance, according to NDTV.
Hair fibres are temporarily reshaped by straightening and smoothing products, making hair straighter.
After applying the straightening solution to the hair, it is “sealed” in with heat.
Studies have found a connection between the chemicals in these products and a higher risk of breast, ovarian, and uterine cancer. Additionally, research indicates that using these products frequently may have a harmful impact on pregnancy and puberty.
According to Mint which cited a 2022 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that women who informed researchers they used hair-straightening products four or more times a year had a more than twofold increased risk of developing uterine cancer compared to those who did not.
An independent study published in the journal Environmental Research in October indicated that postmenopausal women who frequently used hair straighteners had a 50 to 70 per cent higher chance of uterine cancer.
The precise substances that may be causing these elevated health concerns are unknown to researchers.
With inputs from agencies
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