Cosmetology-Licensed Salon Technicians vs. Formaldehyde Scare

Is it safe? The unforgettable question asked of Dustin Hoffman’s character in the 1974 conspiracy thriller Marathon Man is being reprised by thousands of hair-salon customers each time they go for that hair-straightening procedure that’s all the rage across the United States today—keratin hair treatment.

It’s the same question too that both the FDA and OSHA recently asked—and both recently thumbed down in separate actions. FDA issued a health warning against it, but stopped short of a ban; OSHA cited manufacturers for mislabeling their products and penalized several salons for unsafe practices. At the heart of the health controversy over keratin treatment is formaldehyde, a strongly suspected carcinogen that’s used as an important ingredient in hair-straightening products.

Of course, salon workers who are cosmetology license holders (such as those who have finished their Texas cosmetology CE or Kentucky cosmetology CE) have the training to know how to make their work places safe for their clients and for themselves.

Jonathan Elkhouri, owner and master stylist of Salon Khouri, suggests the following steps to a safe hair-straightening treatment:

·         Find a reputable salon with licensed and, therefore, trained technicians. With FDA and OSHA warnings and alerts out, this salon will likely carry a keratin product that has little to no formaldehyde.

·         Check if the salon is properly ventilated. Proper ventilation ensures that the formaldehyde released during the keratin hair-treatment process is quickly dissipated and the vapor remaining is kept at safe levels according to OSHA standards.

·         Seek alternative products if available.

Reputable cosmetology institutes like cosmetologycampus.com provide comprehensive online cosmetology CE training, a requirement by many states for renewing a cosmetology license.