For as long as I can remember, I have longed to tame my unruly hair. Growing up, I remember dreading brushing my hair or wearing it up in pony tails. My hair lingered in this state of undecided, in-betweenness: not fully curly, yet far from straight, and thick and weighted, while puffy, which worsened with humidity.
When I got to university I secured a low-effort wavy hair routine, but the maintenance and fluctuation in my hair’s appearance day-to-day was proving frustrating, and the desire for smooth, effortless, straight hair, never quite quelled.
Though I was terribly afraid of causing permanent damage to my hair pattern and quality, I took it upon myself to do extensive research into the range of temporary hair straightening treatments available on the market.
I landed on the Peter Coppola Keratin treatment, which drew me in for its reputability and hair stylist-backed support. It was also marketed as a formaldehyde-free alternative.
Before 2023, keratin hair treatments used formaldehyde — a chemical linked to cancer. Traditional hair straightening treatments such as the Brazilian Keratin treatment, consisted of methylene glycol. When heated, this released formaldehyde gas.
Though the most vulnerable are hair stylists who have repeated exposure to the fumes, many would get the treatment redone every so often, and its concern wth health risks, made the hairstyling community and regulatory bodies demand an alternative.
Walking into the salon, I felt confident in my choice. The whole process took around four hours, and while I was initially eager to get to the cash register and go enjoy my new hair, my day was worsened when the final amount totaled $600.
But I was happy. To me, it was worth it; I was finally able to brush my hair without worrying about humidity making my hair grow twice in size. I could run my fingers through it, and I was met with silky smooth strands. And every morning, I woke up with styled hair, rarely having to give maintenance another thought.
And that lasted for about two weeks. What I gathered from my personal research and confirmed by the hair stylist herself was that this treatment was supposed to last between two to three months.
I bought the expensive hair care products, spray and even oil. And made sure to wait the three-day window to wash my hair to let the treatment fully absorb.
Even after all that, I am still unsure whether I did something wrong, or if the hairstylist didn’t have enough expertise performing keratin hair treatments on XXL hair. Regardless, I was disappointed: all that time longing and researching, and all that money went down the drain.
Quickly, my hair returned to its natural puff, with the only significant difference being less tighter waves. I moved on, took my straightener out from my drawer, and carried on with the hair routine I was familiar with for the past 21 years. But it wasn’t until I received a message from my grandmother, when I realized that I was actually the lucky one.
She showed me articles that reported on two young girls who were hospitalized following hair straightening treatments. One experienced kidney failure, while the other had “severe kidney dysfunction.”
But these are not just isolated incidences. After, I began digging and tracked down several journals that have conducted case studies and found a link between kidney injury and hair straightening treatments. The culprit is glyoxylic acid.
The New England Journal of Medicine says that kidney injury happens when glyoxylic acid is “… Absorbed through the skin and metabolized into oxalate by the liver.”
“This compound should be avoided and, we would proffer, discontinued from the market,” the journal authors concluded from the study.
Another study gathered together 13 women who have been exposed to glyoxylic acid through hair straightening treatments. 12 developed acute kidney injury.
But what concerns me most is that the glyoxylic acid-containing hair treatments are advertised as an alternative hair treatment.
While most salons have shifted towards using formaldehyde-free keratin hair treatments, hair treatments containing glyoxylic acid continue to be marketed under the guise of a “healthier” option.
In fact, salons are not required by law to list ingredients, which means that more broadly, the conversation surrounding the dangers of glyoxylic acid is simply not widespread enough.
As someone who had concerns about putting foreign chemicals in her hair, I conducted extensive research into the health implications of keratin. I wanted to understand the function each ingredient plays and how they could impact me, but nowhere while researching did I come across the warnings of glyoxylic acid.
Hearing these stories of girls my age suffering kidney-related injuries made my stomach turn. I remember shortly after, leaping to wash my hair. Slowly I watched my curls revert under the water. I grabbed my dusty curly hair products, and felt the fatigue spring back to my hands as I did my 45-minute post-shower curly hair routine.
Maybe it was the adrenaline, and maybe I was being a tad dramatic, but it was so nice to be me again. Even though, the very next week, I went right back to straightening my hair. But at least I had the option — those girls didn’t.
The feeling of panic welled up in me, and not just because of my own personal health-related anxieties, but because of feeling uninformed.
This isn’t meant to scare anyone away from hair straightening treatments: they are convenient, offer a way to change your look up and can do wonders for your confidence.
At the same time, it is important to be weary of what goes in our scalps. It goes beyond being an informed consumer. In the instance of the girl with severe kidney dysfunction, her parents were aware of the risks of kidney injury associated with glyoxylic acid, and had explicitly asked beforehand whether that ingredient was used.
We deserve to know how these ingredients interact with our bodies, we deserve not to be misled, and we deserve more research on potentially dangerous chemical ingredients before they become publicly available.
Hair salons need to be more transparent about the treatments they offer and if they use harmful products, they should disclose it. And as consumers, we need to share and exchange our experiences with one another.
Consider someone who gets recurrent hair straightening treatments, or an elderly lady who is more vulnerable to health risks. While reports are low right now, it doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Arming ourselves with knowledge on these treatments will help us make more informed decisions. No straight hair is worth jeopardizing your health; pretty hair doesn’t look as good when paired with a hospital gown.