New research into the potential health risks associated with hair straighteners and fake tan emerged last week, as reported by The Huffington Post UK.
According to the Frenchay Hospital in Bristol, those of us who prefer our hair smooth and sleek should be more mindful of where we leave our straighteners.
Of the 421 children they treated for serious burns, over a third were caused by contact with unattended straighteners.
With most reaching a whopping 230 degrees, straighteners can inflict pretty severe burns & leave major scars – so turning them off straight away and storing them out of reach in a heat-proof pouch are recommended.
Meanwhile, researchers at the George Washington University have been busy looking into the long term effects of dihydroxyacetone (DHA), the active ingredient in self-tanning products.
The study claims that when inhaled, DHA could potentially cause DNA damage as well as worsen asthma symptoms and increase the risk of lung cancer.
No exacting proof has been found, but the consequences of inhalation have not been proven to be safe either.
Dr. Rey Panettieri, a lung specialist from the study, has said that “For the casual user – the person who goes once a month – frankly there’s probably no problem at all”.
As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago in my ‘Make-up for sensitive skin‘ post, DHA can also be quite irritating – so worth thinking about if you’ve ever had a reaction to fake tan.
What do you think of the news, will it make you think twice about leaving your straighteners out or spraying on your weekly tan?
Read the piece in full here.
Receive other tips & news like it…