Shocking Health Issues Caused by Your Hair Salon

Do you live for your regular visits to the hair salon? Surely you have a favorite stylist that you see on a regular basis, and get to know pretty well. But what you may not know is that your go-to coiffeur’s line of work has some health-harming setbacks for them. And if you’re someone who spends a fair amount of time in a salon, you could potentially be exposed to some of these health issues as well.

Respiratory issues 

Bleaches and dyes will likely make you cough and make your eyes water when you sit in the salon chair for an afternoon. For a salon worker who breathes in these chemicals on a daily basis, it can lead to respiratory problems. “Studies have shown that coiffeurs assume a higher risk than the general public of developing various respiratory problems and allergies,” ScienceNordic.com tells us. 

Contact Dermatitis 

This allergic reaction to hair chemicals can affect both stylists and their clients. For someone sitting in a salon chair, their scalp may react adversely to a type of dye. The risk of contact dermatitis is even higher for stylists, who can develop this itchy, often flaky on their hands from touching different products. According to Occupational Dermatology, 61% of active hairdressers and  59% of students have experienced an allergic reaction on their hands. 

Reproductive problems 

While there are plenty of safe dyes and hair products out there, experts still recommend waiting until their second trimester to color hair while pregnant to limit the exposure to chemicals that can seep into the skin. Sadly, this exposure has a more harmful effect on salon worker who touch this chemicals on a daily basis. According to EcoWatch, stylists have a higher rate of reproductive disorders and miscarriages. 

Neurological symptoms 

EcoWatch also reports that long-term exposure to chemicals in hair salons can have detrimental effects on stylists’ brain functions. They explain that “hair sprays, permanent waves, acrylic nail application and numerous other salon products” contain harsh ingredients such as formaldehyde and methyl methacrylate that get into the skin or are breathed into the body. Formaldehyde has reportedly been connected to affecting levels of anxiety and depression. 

Dementia 

In addition to worsening symptoms of anxiety and depression, exposure to toxic chemicals in hair salons has been linked to a greater risk for dementia. According to ThinkProgress.org, salon workers have a higher risk of dying from “Alzheimers’s disease, presenile dementia, and motor neuron disease.” 

Cancer 

Toxic products in hair salons have been linked to a number of cancers, EcoWatch says. Anyone with constant exposure to these products is at a higher risk for lung cancer, breast cancer, bladder cancer, multiple myeloma, and cancer of the larynx. 

Autoimmune diseases 

Long-standing exposure to chemicals in salons puts workers at a higher risk for developing autoimmune diseases, where antibodies within the body begin attacking healthy cells. Formaldehyde has been connected to a heightened risk of these diseases.