Hair-straightening linked to kidney damage
New Delhi: Shocking Case Reveals Hair-Straightening Treatment Linked to Kidney Damage.A distressing incident has emerged where a 26-year-old woman suffered kidney damage following a routine hair-straightening treatment at a local salon, as reported in The New England Journal of Medicine. This case has drawn attention to potential hazards associated with certain hair products.
The woman underwent hair-straightening procedures at the salon on three separate occasions – in June 2020, April 2021, and July 2022. Despite being previously healthy, she began experiencing troubling symptoms after each session, including vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, and back pain. Furthermore, she reported feeling a burning sensation on her scalp during the treatments and developed ulcers as a result.
Medical experts discovered kidney malfunction after observing elevated levels of creatinine in her blood. Further tests revealed blood in her urine, prompting physicians to conduct a CT scan, which, however, showed no evidence of infection or kidney blockages.
Upon investigation, it was revealed that the hair-straightening cream used on her contained glyoxylic acid, a chemical known to cause skin irritation. Subsequent experiments on mice suggested that the acid, absorbed through the skin, may have travelled to the kidneys, causing damage upon breakdown.
The study concluded that the woman experienced acute kidney injury due to oxalate nephropathy, a rare disorder characterized by the accumulation of calcium oxalate crystals in kidney tubules, with glyoxylic acid being identified as the likely culprit.
Dr. Joshua David King, an associate professor of medicine and pharmacy at the University of Maryland, emphasized the need for regulatory action, stating, “It would seem wise to ban the use of glyoxylic acid in these products and request that manufacturers find another, safer compound.”
Hair straightening, a technique dating back to the 1890s, involves flattening and smoothing hair to achieve a sleek appearance. However, this incident serves as a sobering reminder of the importance of safety and oversight in the beauty industry.
