Even more reason to stay away...

[Kaya]

Literally just found this article while looking for workout tips. Goes to show what an amazing influence this community has! Finding stuff without even meaning to! :cheese:

http://www.shape.com/beauty-and-style/hair/hair-basics/salon-101/can-hair-straightening-keratin-treatments-make-you-sick

[ibleedlipstick]

This sounds terrible, but I would do it. If there is proper ventilation, it isn't terribly damaging. If I could afford it, I would do it in a heartbeat.

I really do adopt the philosophy in my userpic. We are all going to die... I will deserve it.

[vanity_acefake]

Formaldehyde is used in the embalming process. Why on earth would you want to use that on your hair!

[ibleedlipstick]

Formaldehyde is used in the embalming process. Why on earth would you want to use that on your hair!

It makes your hair silky-soft and easy to manage, and if done correctly only has small amounts of formaldehyde. With proper ventilation, all is well.

Honestly, I'm not pretty. I can't really change that, but I can have great hair. I guess it is what I am willing to do to bring myself up to average. I really am just *that* vain :D

[rocket_surgeon]

Health Canada banned Brazilian Blowout because it contains sixty times the allowable level of formaldehyde for cosmetics. Those treatments confiscated by OHSA contained up to 10% (it doesn't say whether that it by volume or by mass) formaldehyde. That is a lot of a chemical that has been known to cause health problems at pretty low levels.

It's probably not good for you, or the other people in the salon. And it's definitely not good for the stylists, who are exposed to the product much more than their customers are.

[rocket_surgeon]

It makes your hair silky-soft and easy to manage, and if done correctly only has small amounts of formaldehyde. With proper ventilation, all is well.

Honestly, I'm not pretty. I can't really change that, but I can have great hair. I guess it is what I am willing to do to bring myself up to average. I really am just *that* vain

Also, I'm incredulous that a salon would ever have "proper ventilation". It would end up being like a fumehood in there.

And even if it was "properly ventilated", that would likely just pump formaldehyde vapor into the air that everybody else breathes. Great.

[stefafra]

Formaldehyde is a suspected carcinogenic, we use it in the lab and have to be very careful when handling it, even when diluted.
According ot our healt and safety manual it is:
Flammable
Toxic by inhalation, in contact with skin and if swallowed.
Causes burns.
May cause cancer
May cause sensitization by skin contact.

It might be ok for the clients to get treated once in a while, but it is going to create a nasty workplace for the hairdressers or stylists, they are already exposed to all sort of chemicals, and more often that not rather blithely ignore even the most basic safety precautions, such as wearing gloves....
Proper ventilation? Can you put the head of the client in a fumehood?
Or construct a mini aspiration system, similar to the one that are on top of some machinery, over the chairs, so that the fumes are collected and discharged somewhere else, may be after filtration?
I don't see it happen...