Hair stick HELP, concerned

[Ashlbee]

Hey everyone! So here is my problem. I just ordered my first real hair stick now that I am at waist (yay!!!!) and want to start trying fun hair styles. Before I had a cheap plastic one I was always afraid of snapping. So now I ordered a bunch of natural carved wood ones. The first came in the mail today, a lovely blonde-green leaf tipped stick.

Here is my problem. It is carved of lignum vitae, which I just read today can cause allergic skin reactions. I seem fine so far, touched it, played with it, etc. But it got me thinking…

Can wood sticks be dangerous? Toxic even since they are on our heads all day long? Can they eat through your hair O.O I'm being silly, I know, but I am so protective of it no that it is at waist. The idea of damaging it with a stick! I am now doing lots of research not he woods I ordered.

Anyone with any lignum vitae sticks? Thoughts on them? Not sure if this one is waxed/finished with anything.

I ordered lots of different woods form sellers who make lots of hair products. I would hope between them and then the customer feedback i read if there was a problem with a type of wood it would have been ended out already?

Am I just being silly? Sorry for the mini freak out, but I was so excited for my sticks, and now, sorta afraid of them...

Thank you guys!

[heidi w.]

If you're allergic, then you're allergic. IF not, then you're not. Try testing them first. Pick a part of the skin, and rub them on them. If after a day or so it begins to itch and become red and bumpy, then you're allergic. Otherwise, enjoy them. If you're allergic, your hair won't fall out. Your scalp will itch like the dickens.
heidi w.

[Ashlbee]

Ah, ok, that is encouraging. Thank you! So far it seems fine. Do the wooden sticks still have natural wood oils the come off? If so, can those damage hair? Sorry, I am such a paranoid nubs about sticks XD

[Nae]

I have a few sticks made of that wood, and I have had no trouble at all.

I think it will be fine, if you don't have a reaction on your skin within a day or so I wouldn't worry a bit about it.

[Kherome]

If you're this worried, you could stick with acrylic or Corian toys. Or only buy wood sticks that have been sealed in a poly. It is highly unlikely you'll have an allergic reaction, but anything is possible. I am not an allergist but I highly doubt your hair would suffer in any way, just your scalp. Many people here own LV wood toys, I've not heard of it being a problem. I'd venture 90% of people on this board wear wood hairsticks and I don't recall hearing of any massive reactions.

[Magalo]

Lignum vitae is hardly toxic. But there's a LOT of toxic woods used for hair accessories (bubinga, cocobolo, pretty much any rosewood, most cedar, teak, ebony, the list goes on) but side effects are rare since when it's worn in your hair, it's hardly in contact with your skin. Most of the time, the wood is toxic when you inhale the dust (like when you actually work with the wood).

Also: a lot of toxic woods are sensitizer. Which means the more contact you have with the wood, the more allergic you become. So if you have any skin reactions after handling the wood, stop touching it immediatly.

[TheHowlingWolf]

Okay I'm going to sound like an idiot but wow! I never knew wood was toxic!

[Magalo]

Okay I'm going to sound like an idiot but wow! I never knew wood was toxic!

Some wood dust can make you blind. Some will cause kidney failure if ingested or inhaled. Some will just irritate the skin, but some are CORROSIVE. Nervous system problems, asthma, nausea, headaches, swelling, cramps... they're all effects you can get for being in contact with some toxic woods. Wood can be toxic like any plants! Fascinating isn't it? :p

[Kherome]

Okay I'm going to sound like an idiot but wow! I never knew wood was toxic!

This is why Doug of Timberstone Turnings hates working with ebony and charges more for it.

[Kaelee]

This is why Doug of Timberstone Turnings hates working with ebony and charges more for it.

Completely understandable and wow!!!! It honestly never occurred to me. It's something I personally will consider when asking for a custom piece in the future (since I don't necessarily want people exposed to things they shouldn't be unnecessarily).

[neko_kawaii]

I found out that wounds from wenge tend to fester when I got a splinter while carving some and noticed it didn't heal normally. *rolls eyes*

I'm not familiar with many exotics. I know not to breath redwood dust, and I wouldn't carve a stick out of poison oak.

[faellen]

I only found out about toxic woods when I was looking at Omerica Organic for wood plugs for my stretched ears, and they listed some woods as not being safe to wear in ears, and use them for inlays or other products such as belt buckles instead (e.g. cocobolo). I have some lignum vitae plugs and never had a reaction. I have a Elymwold hair stick on the way to me which is made of cocobolo.

[torrilin]

I tend to stick with a fairly short list of woods. Maple, ash, oak, birch, elm, poplar, sycamore, walnut, cherry... basically the classic northern hardwoods. Those are pretty safe for the woodworker, and it's pretty easy to get wood that meets quite strict sustainable forestry guidelines. If I lust after exotic patterning, burls, quilting, birds eye and spalting are all really pretty and fairly obtainable in northern hardwoods.

For me personally, I'd rather woodworkers were working with fairly safe materials *and* it really matters to me that the folks who do the logging and who live near where the tree grew have a safe and healthy environment. Sawmills and logging are not the world's safest occupations, and flash floods from a clear cut hillside are no damn fun.

I love the look of a lot of exotic woods. They can be really beautiful. But I don't love them enough to make the downsides worthwhile to me. There are plenty of woodworkers who disagree with me, and who can't resist the pretty of purpleheart or bloodwood, and who find the pretty is worth the risks. I just don't feel right asking other people to work with a wood where I wouldn't choose to work with it in my own shop. Your mileage will almost certainly vary.

[TheHowlingWolf]

Some wood dust can make you blind. Some will cause kidney failure if ingested or inhaled. Some will just irritate the skin, but some are CORROSIVE. Nervous system problems, asthma, nausea, headaches, swelling, cramps... they're all effects you can get for being in contact with some toxic woods. Wood can be toxic like any plants! Fascinating isn't it? :p
Oh geez....I'm scared now! shudder: Although, I believe I only own walnut hair toys with the exception of 2 freebies from Ed's hairsticks (Idk what kinds of wood they are). I love the looks of darker woods though and I remember asking about ebony wood but I just decided on walnut...phew!

[Kherome]

I have some of the exotic woods, but I think all of them except maybe one were swap board purchases, so in theory I didn't ask a woodworker to work on a dangerous wood. I just picked it up second hand. I do have one custom TT that is african blackwood, but I don't know about the toxicity of that one? Otherwise I have Cherry, BEM, Walnut and Holly. (Holly may be toxic? Who knows? I know the berries are, but to a lesser extent then most people think.)

[Long_hair_bear]

Lignum vitae is hardly toxic. But there's a LOT of toxic woods used for hair accessories (bubinga, cocobolo, pretty much any rosewood, most cedar, teak, ebony, the list goes on) but side effects are rare since when it's worn in your hair, it's hardly in contact with your skin. Most of the time, the wood is toxic when you inhale the dust (like when you actually work with the wood).

Also: a lot of toxic woods are sensitizer. Which means the more contact you have with the wood, the more allergic you become. So if you have any skin reactions after handling the wood, stop touching it immediatly.


Cedar? I dunno..... I love my cedar fork and moon and I'm not dead yet. :)

[Kherome]

Cedar yes, but mostly to small animals. For example, they will tell you never to fill a pet hampster's cage with cedar shavings.

[trolleypup]

The easy rule for wood toxicity (generally inhalation hazards for wood working) is the more aromatic and/or the more deeply colored the more likely it is to be toxic at some level.

Once the wood is stable/finished, it is unlikely to be toxic (although specific allergies are another matter). Most wooden hairtoys have some kind of finish on them, even it is just oil. So, as long as you aren't smoking them, eating them, sanding them and breathing the dust, or rubbing them on your skin constantly, I think you are pretty safe.

As to damage to hair...the only hazard is mechanical damage, if the wood hasn't been properly smoothed and is rough and/or has nicks that can catch and tear hair. And that you can feel as soon as you get your hands on them.

[PixieKitten]

Wow, I never knew any of this, it's so interesting! The few sticks I have I made myself out of trees from the garden, the Buddleia I chopped down and Willow we have to keep trimming. I'll make sure I know which type of tree the sticks come from before I pick them up from now on!