In some cases, ignorance is not bliss. This is especially true when it comes to things that harm your body. Before you let any product come in contact with your body, it’s always necessary to research and understand if it is healthy and harmless enough to use.
Falling into this category is Brazilian blowout. Although stepping into a Brazilian blowout salon will leave your hair smooth and silky, it can cause serious harm to your health. But why is Brazilian blowout dangerous, you ask? Continue reading to find out.
What is Brazilian Blowout?
Brazilian blowout was developed in Brazil as a hair-straightening treatment that does not cause burns to the skin and scalp. It uses liquid Keratin formula to create a protective layer around each hair strand, therefore, making your hair look fuller and shinier.
Keratin is the protein found in hair, nails, and teeth. It is also found in animal parts like horns, claws, feathers, and hoofs. The Keratin used in Brazilian blowout treatment is processed from these animal parts.
Dangers of Brazilian Blowout.
Although Brazilian blowout contains natural plant ingredients such asacai berry, researchers have warned that it contains dangerous chemicals such as formaldehyde and other chemicals that can cause acute and long-term health issues.
The other harmful chemicals include methylene glycol, formalin, methanol, oxomethane, methylene oxide, perform, formic aldehyde, methanol, oxomethane, etc.
Formaldehyde is mainly used as a preservative and disinfectant. However, it can also activate hair proteins(keratins) to make hair smooth and shiny. However, According to health experts, these chemicals are very harmful to your health at room temperature.
Formaldehyde is not an illegal product and is allowed to be used in cosmetic products. However, FDA has come forth to shan the product manufacturers for misleading the public. There are no statements regarding the product’s ingredients or warning on the label informing the public of the side effects that the products could cause on their health. Therefore, the issue is with the disclosure.
However, although it has been confirmed to be dangerous, no ban has been effected despite several letters to request a ban since 2016.
The Side Effects of Brazilian Blowout
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirms that there are various side effects related to the use of Brazilian blowout. It can affect your health, the health of your stylist, and anyone else in close vicinity. It can even cause cancer.
Usually, the stylist uses a blow-drier to straighten sections of hair with the Brazilian blowout. This simple act causes the harmful chemicals to be spread through the hot fumes produced.
The main symptoms include:
- nausea
- vomiting
- headaches
- dizziness
- breathing problems
- watery eyes
- nosebleeds
- chest pain
- itching
- rash
- nose or throat irritation
- eye-stinging or redness
These side effects are even more prominent in people with chronic diseases like Asthma and also pregnant women. Pregnant women should avoid exposure to these chemicals as they can cause Leukemia and other diseases to the unborn child.
In addition, Brazilian blowout will cause hair damage in the long run. It might lead to problems like hair loss, dry and brittle hair, and hair discoloration.
Conclusion
It is clear that the dangers outweigh the benefits. It is not worth it to put your heath (and potentially that of other people) at risk to get a straight, shiny strand of hair. The effect can be simple migraines, but it can lead to more severe diseases like cancer in the worst-case scenario.
Therefore, if you need your hair straightened, talk to a stylist working in a Japanese hair straightening salon Olney or any other salon to recommend a more healthy option.
