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Monday, November 23, 2009

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Would you risk cancer for beautiful straight hair?

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We do some crazy stuff for beauty. Injecting Botchulism, slathering bird poop on our faces (this is not a joke) and letting fish eat dead skin on our feet (again, totally serious). But that stuff probably wont kill us. Certain hair-straightening treatments on the other hand … just might.

A warning about Brazilian keratin salon treatments containing formaldehyde has been issued by the Professional Beauty Association.

Granted, while formaldehyde is most commonly used to, well, embalm the dearly departed, it's also in quite a few cosmetics -- but it's most dangerous when it's made into vapor, which is exactly what happens when you get your hair straightened (they put on chemicals ... then flat iron your hair).

That means dangerous formaldehyde fumes, known to cause cancer.

Eek, I'm out. There are plenty of safe ways to straighten curly hair. Or why not just embrace your curls? These celebrities do.

Related: hair styling, hair straightening, curly hair, brazilian hair straightening

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From the Community…

Comments 1-10 of 32
  • LauraL's Avatar
    Posted by LauraL Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:52pm PST

    so glad i was born with super straight hair.. the only thing i'm killing to change styles is the hair itself when i use the curling iron..

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  • FoggyNotion's Avatar
    Posted by FoggyNotion Wed Dec 10, 2008 2:58pm PST

    It sounds ridiculous but then again everything causes cancer.

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  • sugar fiend's Avatar
    Posted by sugar fiend Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:39pm PST

    I agree -- what doesn't cause cancer? At least we'll leave the world looking gorgeous!!

    Report Abuse
  • Swarthy Libations's Avatar
    Posted by Swarthy Libations Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:43pm PST

    Talk about suffering for fashion! I think it's completely stupid.

    It seems that anyone that would take these sort of risks just to look good, probably has a couple screws loose.

    Y'all CRAZY!

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  • Lux's Avatar
    Posted by Lux Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:01pm PST

    Thank you for this article! I have had the "Brazilian blowout" three times and LOVE the results, but had no idea they use formaldehyde in the treatments. I will think twice about going again . . .

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  • totalbeauty's Avatar
    Posted by totalbeauty Wed Dec 10, 2008 5:09pm PST

    If the Professional Beauty Association says "jump," I say "getting closer to the sun will dry out my hair but ok."

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  • GBH's Avatar
    Posted by GBH Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:11pm PST

    Yep...that's not for me. Life's too short as it is.

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  • Alyssa Spang bang's Avatar
    Posted by Alyssa Spang bang Thu Dec 11, 2008 3:12pm PST

    what cosmetics do they have the chemcials in please get back to me on this that is sooo true is it worth getting cancer for beautiful hair if you don't like your hair then just pull it up in a ponytail or leave it down curly thats for the info on canceris straghting i was going to get one one of them

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  • Chloster's Avatar
    Posted by Chloster Thu Dec 11, 2008 3:12pm PST

    i wouldn't. i understand the whole "everything causes cancer" thing but I would like to lessen the amount of possible-cancer-causing things i do to myself as much as doable. crap, is there formaldehyde in the japanese straightening system? because i do that sometimes...

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  • MissK's Avatar
    Posted by MissK Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:57pm PST

    You might get cancer, but your quality of life until then would be so much improved!

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Comments 1-10 of 32

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