For a while now a particular Brazilian hair grooming treatment has been raising concerns about their effects on health. Don’t worry ladies it isn’t that Brazilian treatment so there is not need to sadly pack away the bikini forever. It is in fact the infamous Brazilian Blow-out that it whipping up a fuss.

For those of you that don’t know the Brazilian Blow-out is, it is an extremely expensive chemical hair-straightening product often featured in celebrity magazines and endorsed by many a plastic-fantastic (they know who they are) for transforming unruly and curly locks into softer-than-silk straight hair.

Last year the American Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning to salons stating that the Brazilian Blow-out could be a significant risk to health after tests confirmed that the product contained high levels of formaldehyde in levels that exceed safety guidelines. Formaldehyde probably sounds familiar to you, that’s because it’s used to preserve dead bodies and is highly suspected of being a human carcinogen (cancer causer). Now who wouldn’t want that on their hair? Sign me up…not!

Despite these stern warnings and a lot of negative press the demand for the Brazilian Blow-out remains high (people are idiots). The Blow-out has reportedly caused rashes, eye and throat irritation, headaches and respiratory problems. The fumes from the treatment are so noxious that gas masks are sometimes worn by both hairdresser and client during the treatment. Now that’s a sign of safety…gasmasks.

So safe in fact that in April of this year that the California Attorney General, Kameala Harris, took legal action against GIB LCC, manufacturers of the Brazilian Blow-out, and issued a preliminary injunction (they just hand those injunctions out for anything, don’t they?) because the levels of formaldehyde used are the same as those in embalming fluid…gross.

Before long the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also issued a hazard alert after finding dangerous air levels of formaldehyde in many salons using the product (did I say people were idiots?) OSHA also found that some of the Brazilian Blow-out products did not list formaldehyde on the product label despite it actually being in there (lying b*****ds).

Well trust those Americans to get the job done as now Congress is getting involved in the issue, urging the FDA to issue a recall of all Brazilian Blow-out, highlighting the fact that six other countries have already recalled formaldehyde-containing hair straighteners.

Now I say this, what is wrong with a bit of frizz, or a few kinks and curls. Let the plastic fantastic cover themselves with embalming fluid if they like, they already inject a poisonous toxin into their faces, it isn’t a huge leap for them. Be proud of your unruly hair and stay tuned as I will soon be telling you how to make the most of it.

This is your friendly neighbourhood hair guru signing off...until next time citizens

- Gems