October 2011
Formaldehyde Exposure from Hair-Straightening Products
Our Challenge
- Concerns have been raised by several state and federal agencies regarding salon workers’ potential exposures to formaldehyde.
- An exposure simulation study was conducted to characterize potential formaldehyde exposures of salon workers and clients during keratin hair straightening treatments.
Our Approach
- We evaluated four different hair treatment products by applying them to separate human hair wigs mounted on mannequin heads. Task and treatment duration personal and area samples were collected.
Our Findings
- Mean task-based airborne concentrations of formaldehyde ranged from 0.08-3.47 ppm during blow-dry and 0.08-1.05 ppm during flat-iron. Mean treatment-duration airborne concentrations ranged from 0.02-1.19 ppm for personal and area samples.
- Results show that professional hair smoothing treatments, even those labeled ‘formaldehyde free’, have the potential to produce formaldehyde concentrations that meet or exceed current occupational exposure limits.
- Results were presented in a published paper [Pierce, J.S., Abelmann, A. , Spicer, L.J. , Adams, R.E. , Finley, B.F. , Gaffney, S. 2011. Characterization of formaldehyde exposure resulting from the use of four professional hair straightening products. J Occup Env Hyg. 8:686-699.]