Warning
In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors reported a troubling case about a woman who suffered kidney damage after getting her hair straightened at a salon. The woman’s identity was kept private in the study.
The study explained that the woman, aged 26, had the hair treatment done in June 2020, April 2021, and July 2022. Even though she had no health issues before, she started feeling sick after each salon visit. She experienced vomiting, diarrhea, fever, back pain, and her scalp burned during the treatment. She also got ulcers on her head.
Doctors found that her kidneys weren’t working well, shown by high levels of creatinine in her blood and blood in her urine. Although a CT scan didn’t show any kidney infections or blockages, her symptoms continued.
The woman told the doctors that her hair was treated with a straightening cream containing glyoxylic acid, which made the doctors suspect it caused her scalp burning and ulcers.
After more research, including experiments on mice, the doctors believed that the glyoxylic acid entered her body through her skin and harmed her kidneys.
The study concluded that the woman had recurring episodes of kidney injury due to oxalate nephropathy, a rare condition where calcium oxalate crystals build up in the kidneys, causing a decrease in kidney function. This suggests that glyoxylic acid in hair-straightening products could be dangerous.
Dr. Joshua David King, an associate professor at the University of Maryland, stressed the need for action, suggesting banning glyoxylic acid from these products and finding safer alternatives.Hair straightening has been around since the 1890s, but this case shows the importance of making sure the products used are safe.
