A case study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, detailed the story of a 26-year-old Tunisian woman who experienced three instances of acute kidney injury between June 2020 and July 2022. The case study written by French medical professionals, associated specific hair-smoothing and straightening products with kidney damage.
The woman had no prior health concerns before seeking medical attention. Upon assessment, healthcare providers identified elevated plasma creatinine levels in her blood. Plasma creatinine, a byproduct from muscles, is filtered out by the kidneys when it enters the bloodstream.
According to the journal article, “Each episode of acute kidney injury had coincided with a hair treatment at the same salon on the day the symptoms began”.
Following the hair treatment, she reported experiencing scalp burning and subsequently developed ulcers on her head. She presented symptoms such as vomiting, fever, diarrhea, and back pain to her physician.
During salon visits, the hairstylist applied a cream containing 10% glyoxylic acid to her hair. Researchers suspect this chemical is the cause of the kidney damage.
To investigate the link between glyoxylic acid and kidney injury, doctors involved in the case experimented on mice. They applied the straightening product, containing 10% glyoxylic acid, to the backs of five mice and repeated the procedure with petroleum jelly on another group of five mice for comparison. The experiment suggested that the acid was absorbed through the skin and reached the kidneys, leading to damage upon breakdown.
The letter asserts that hair-straightening products with glyoxylic acid are responsible for calcium oxalate-induced nephropathy following similar procedures. Glyoxylic acid, introduced as a safer alternative to formaldehyde formulations, was found to be nephrotoxic.
The case should act as a warning against using hair-smoothing products containing glyoxylic acid, which should be avoided and potentially discontinued from the market, according to the doctors who treated her.
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