• Pretty Poison or Harmless Cosmetic?

 

When you cover your blemishes, give yourself a sunless tan, or straighten your hair, chances are you use a product with a long list of ingredients. But are those ingredients safe? Headlines proclaiming the dangers of beauty products are often based on hype, so Wee-care takes a look at the science. And we offer some alternatives for those who want to reduce their use of chemicals

 

Concern: Keratin Straighteners

 

Salon-based keratin hair treatments can deliver silky, smooth locks with no frizz. These treatments are often marketed as formaldehyde-free, but Oregon's OSHA found high concentrations of the chemical in more than half of samples. Long-term exposure to formaldehyde can cause cancer. Getting your hair straightened or "smoothed" once every few months will not put you over OSHA's exposure limits. But there could be a real risk to your stylist

 

• Option: Conditioner and Flat Iron

 

Conditioner can help you fight frizz by neutralizing the impact of static electricity. And while the results will only last until your next shampoo, a flat iron can get the kinks out of most naturally curly hair. Using a blow dryer is less effective than a flat iron for smoothing hair, but your stylist might show you a few good techniques, combined with safe hair products, to tame a frizzy look.

 

• Concern: Permanent Hair Dye

 

Research connecting hair dye to cancer has had conflicting results. Some studies suggest that women are slightly more likely to get leukemia or lymphoma if they use permanent hair dyes, particularly darker colors. But other studies have found there is no increased risk. Most research looking at hair dye and breast cancer has found no link. There is also no evidence suggesting hair dye poses a threat during pregnancy, although some health care providers recommend waiting until the second trimester to be extra cautious

 

• Option: Plant-Based Hair Dyes

 

Plant-based hair dyes, including henna and vegetable dyes, can change hair color without harsh chemicals. But there are some drawbacks. Most won't result in a dramatic color change, and the results tend to fade sooner than with permanent dyes. A second option is to get highlights at a salon. A special cap or foil hair wrappers prevent the dye on your tresses from touching your scalp, so the chemicals aren't absorbed by your skin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Keratin Hair Treatments: What to Expect

 

By Denise Mann

 

Longing for smoother, straighter hair? Keratin hair-straightening treatments are a popular option at salons.

If you're thinking about trying it, you should know this:

 

• What Is Keratin? It's a protein that's naturally in your hair.

• How It Works: A stylist applies a keratin hair-straightening product to your hair and then uses the heat of a flat iron to seal it in. The process takes about 90 minutes or longer, depending on your hair's length. Salon keratin products include Keratin Complex Smoothing Therapy by Coppola, Global Keratin Complex, the La-Brasiliana treatment, Brazilian Keratin Treatment, the Brazilian Blowout, and Brazilian Hair Straightening. 

• Time-Saving Tresses: If you usually style your hair straight, a keratin hair-straightening treatment could shorten your blow-dry time by 40% to 60%, says hair stylist Henri Borday of New York's Mizu salon and corporate educator for Global Keratin.

• Farewell, Frizz: You can forget about frizzy hair after treatment. "You could walk out in moist or light rain and your hair won’t change," Borday says.

• Wait Before You Wash: You shouldn't wash your hair for three or four days after getting the treatment. That's because the solution takes time to work, he says.

• Upkeep: After you get a keratin hair treatment, and after the don't-wash waiting period, you should use sodium-sulfate-free shampoo to help maintain the treatment.

• How Long It Lasts: Expect the results to last two to 2 1/2 months.

 

Keratin treatments won't make your hair break, but the flat-ironing might. "The hair breakage has nothing to do with the treatments and everything to do with the flat irons that are used to dry and seal the hair afterward," says New York dermatologist Neil Sadick, MD. "Some stylists may use a flat iron that is way too hot and scorches hair, making it break off."

 

"Keratin is more of a restorative treatment," Borday says. "Even if you have a good hair type, it still strengthens the hair shaft and makes your hair more resilient."

 

Sadick recommends checking with a dermatologist before getting a keratin treatment if you have psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis .

 

 

Formaldehyde Factor

 

You may have heard about formaldehyde in salon keratin products. 

 

Formaldehyde has been linked to health problems, especially for people who regularly work with it. The main health concern about formaldehyde in keratin products has been about salon workers, not people who get keratin hair treatments.

 

How much formaldehyde is in these products? That varies. The FDA and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) have looked into formaldehyde levels in some of these products. 

 

"You can ask salon professionals if they know whether a product contains formaldehyde-related ingredients or other ingredients you may wish to avoid," the FDA's web site states. If you have a bad reaction to the treatment, the FDA asks that you report it to them.

 

"Most companies that put out keratin treatments use safe levels. But the problematic part and where these treatments got a bad rap came when salons were mixing their own to incorporate more formaldehyde," Borday says.