Burnt beauty: Hidden risks

In the quest for perfect hair—be it straight, curly, voluminous, blonde, or pitch black—millions around the world subject their tresses to a range of chemical and heat treatments.

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Hair dyeing, straightening, bleaching, perming, ironing, and blow-drying are now routine, not occasional indulgences. But while these practices may offer aesthetic transformation, they also come with serious, and sometimes overlooked, health risks.

Hair is dead protein, yes—but the scalp it sprouts from is very much alive. The chemicals used in common treatments are not always benign. Many contain ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, formaldehyde, and parabens—compounds that can seep through the skin, be inhaled, or linger in enclosed salon spaces. With prolonged or repeated exposure, they may impact more than just the outer layer of your hair.