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Asthma & Salon Products Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs What Salon Workers Need to Know About Their Risk for Work-Related Asthma August 2015 In collaboraon with What is work-related asthma? the NH Department of Health and Human Asthma is a chronic lung disease where the flow of air Services may be decreased, making it hard to breathe. Asthma is considered work-related when it is caused or made worse by something in the workplace. Even small exposures to certain substances can cause or trigger Some hazardous asthma. Symptoms may start right after you breathe in t ingredients in salon he substance or may start hours after leaving work. Some- times a person can suddenly develop work-related asthma from chemicals they have products can be worked with for years. It is not understood why some workers get asthma while others who avoided by purchasing have the same exposures do not. alternave products. Can hair and nail products cause or trigger asthma? For those that can’t be YES! You might not expect it, but hair and nail salon products used at work can cause asthma or avoided, you can take make your asthma worse. People who spend more of their day exposed to chemicals at precauons to protect work have the greatest risk. The following daily activities may cause the most harm: bleaching and coloring hair, permanent waving and chemically straightening hair, applying your health. artificial nails, general nail manicuring, and cleaning and disinfecting of tools and equip- ment. Where to look for hazardous ingredients • Ingredients in salon products can sometimes be found on the product label, although If you work manufacturers are not required to list all of the ingredients in products sold for profes- in a beauty sional use. or nail salon, • Salon workers can look at the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) associated with the product, you should where all of the hazardous ingredients must appear. know about work-related asthma. How to Recognize Work-Related Asthma • Coughing These symptoms may not occur until early the next morning or towards the end of the work week. • Wheezing Usually only some of the employees who are exposed to • Difficulty Breathing these chemicals develop occupational asthma and they may • Shortness of Breath be affected at different times. However, if one employee is • Chest Tightness diagnosed with occupational asthma, others may also be af- fected in the future because they too could be exposed to the same chemicals in the workplace. NH Asthma Collaborave asthmanownh.org Page 1 Page 2 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs Hazardous Chemical List ♦ Hair bleaches: hydrogen peroxide, sodium peroxide, ammonium hydroxide, persulfate salts. ♦ Oxidative hair color (permanent): Primary intermediates: aryla- mines, such as para-phenylenediamine (PPD), para-toluenediamine (PTD) and other substituted para-diamines, ortho- or para- aminophenols. PPD is especially present in higher levels in brown and darker hair dyes and has been detected even when not indicated as an ingredient. ♦ Couplers: these include meta-substituted arylamines or their derivatives such as m-phenylene-diamines, m-aminophenols, resorcinol or others. ♦ Oxidants: hydrogen peroxide, urea peroxide, sodium percarbonate or perborate. ♦ Alkalinizing agents: ammonia, monoethanolamine or aminomethylpropanol. ♦ Direct dyes (temporary or semi-permanent) Temporary coloring agents include azo-, triphenylmethane-, anthraquinone- or indamine dyes, whereas semi-permanent coloring agents contain nitro-phenylenediamines, nitro-aminophenols and some azo dyes. ♦ Hair extension glue, lace wig glue: styrene, trichloroethylene, 1,4 dioxane. ♦ Permanent wave preparations: ammonium thioglycolate, ammonia, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, bromates, sodium hydroxide, boric acid, glycerol monothioglycolate. ♦ Hairsprays: ethanol, ammonium thioglycolate, isopropanol, various propellants: propane, pentane, butane and diethylether. ♦ Thermal protection sprays: cyclopentasiloxane or cyclomethicone (these create formaldehyde Many of the products on this list contain chemi- when heated). cals that also fall under the New Hampshire Haz- ardous Waste Rules. When the products are no ♦ Nail products: acetone, acetonitrile, butyl ace- longer usable they cannot be disposed of in the tate, dibutyl phthalate, ethyl acetate, ethyl meth- trash or put down the drain). Follow state and feder- acrylate, formaldehyde, isopropyl acetate, meth- al guidelines for proper disposal of hazardous wastes. For more information call 1-866-HazWast. acrylic acid, quaternary ammonium compounds, toluene. ♦ Semi- or demi-permanent hair smoothing products: formaldehyde (also referred to formalin or meth- ylene glycol), may also contain alcohol as a stabilizer. ♦ Formaldehyde Releasing Preservatives: Formaldehyde releasing preservatives prevent bacteria from growing in water-based products. Other names include: formol, formalin, methanal, morbidic acid, formic aldehyde, methyl aldehyde, oxymeth- ylene and methylene glycol. Formaldehyde may often be found in cosmetics such as shampoos, liquid hand soaps, and hair gels. Formaldehyde is also found in nail polish and nail hardeners. Formaldehyde releasing preservatives commonly replace formaldehyde and release small amounts over time. These include: Quartinium-15, benzyl hemiformal, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, bioban and DMDM hydantoin (formaldehyde releaser). People allergic to formaldehyde may also be sensitive to substances re- leasing it. NH Asthma Collaborave asthmanownh.org Page 2 Page 3 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs Safety Data Sheets (SDS) The Occupational Safety • Hazardous ingredients in the product; and Health Administration • How you can be exposed to the ingredients; (OSHA) requires product • Health and safety risks you face when using manufacturers to provide the product; and salon owners with safety • Steps for safely using and storing the product, data sheets (SDS) for the including what to do in emergencies. products they buy that contain hazardous chemi- Be aware that SDS may not contain all the infor- cals. mation needed to help protect you. For example, the manufacturer may state that you should wear Your employer must also “impervious gloves,” but not specify the type. train you on the chemicals’ potential hazards and how More information can be found at OSHA’s Haz- to use the products safely. ard Communication Standard web page: In general, an SDS must www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html provide the following: Best Pracces to Reduce Exposure Some harmful chemicals may be difficult to avoid in salon work, due to the current lack of viable alterna- tives and the lack of ingredient disclosure directly on product labels. For these chemicals, the best advice is to reduce your exposure as much as possible by following the steps below. ♦ Ensure you assess all new draft table when working with ers to use lower heat settings products before use. artificial nails, with air ex- on blow-dryers and flat irons. ♦ What else? ♦ Make a list of all hazardous hausted to the outdoors. ♦ Wash hands before and after products used in the salon and ♦ If fans are used, outside air use. obtain Safety Data Sheets from an open window should ♦ Keep food and drinks covered (SDS) from the manufacturers. blow the chemicals away from at all times, and do not store or ♦ Prepare a Hazard Communica- the worker’s face before being eat food in work areas. tion Plan that identifies hazard- vented out of the salon. ous chemicals in the workplace ♦ Keep trash cans tightly closed. and describes hazards, warning ♦ Wear appropriate protective labels, and training for staff. clothing, including respirators ♦ Train staff in the safe use and (check your product label or disposal of chemicals in the SDS). ♦ Use small amounts of the prod- workplace. ♦ General ventilation should be uct when performing services. provided with an adequate sup- ♦ Close bottles tightly when you ply of fresh outside air (NH are not using them so the prod- requirements at: www.nh.gov/ uct does not spill or get into cosmet). the air. ♦ If your salon does not have an ♦ Store chemicals in small bot- exhaust system, always keep tles with small openings and the heating, ventilation, and air label them with the infor- conditioning (HVAC) system mation from the manufactur- on during work hours. er’s label. ♦ Consider a ventilated down- ♦ When possible, require work- NH Asthma Collaborave asthmanownh.org Page 3 Page 4 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs How to Choose Safer Alternaves Salon Acvity Chemical Name Safer Alternave If salon owners decide to Hair Dyes and paraphenylenediamine Choose a botancial dye without hair use products that contain Lighteners (PPD) lighteners, or use a PPD alternative formaldehyde, then they with hydrogen peroxide to lighten must follow the hair and improve dye process requirements in OSHA’s Formaldehyde Standard . Hair Glue, for wigs 1, 4 Dioxane, Stryene, Choose a hair weave process that and extensions Trichlorthlene, doesn’t require glue, or use a botani- Toluene cal glue Chemical Hair Cyclopentasiloxane or Use a flat ion with a botanical hair Straighteners Cyclometicone, straightening spray, or just use water Fomaldehyde or Methylene glycol (Brazilian Blowout) Nails Dibutyl Phthalate, Choose a nail polish without these Formaldehyde or meth- chemicals. (look for “3 Free” or acid ylene glycol, Toluene free). Or buff your nails with a pad once a week at most so not to thin the nail. Nail polish Acetone Choose a botantical alternative with remover plant oils (always check the SDS before using them) A Note About Chemical Hair Smoothing Products
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