Mechanisms of impairment in hair and scalp induced by hair dyeing and perming and potential interventions

Abstract

With the rapid growth of beauty and personal care industries, many hair-relevant products, hair dyes and hair perms in particular, are increasingly prevalent in both women and men, regardless of being young or old as they frequently change hair color or shape to enhance youthfulness and beauty and to follow fashion trends. Hair dyes and perms alter hair color and/or shape by mechanically changing the physical structure and chemical substances of the hair shaft. However, treatment of hair with chemical formulations has been potentially ascribed to adverse outcomes in the hair shaft including structure damage, chemical constituent disorder, and impaired physical properties, although hair cosmetics procedures are intrinsically safe. Nevertheless, the mechanisms of impairment in the hair shaft and scalp induced by hair dyeing and perming remain elusive. Additionally, adverse reactions activated by exposure to specific chemical ingredients including skin irritation, allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), and even cancer risk have been reported clinically, but existing evidence is not consistent enough in the case of human studies. Herein, the review aims to give an overview of hair cosmetics, especially concerning the basic knowledge about various hair dyes and perms, the consequences for hair shafts and the scalp resulting from the application of hair cosmetics mentioned above, mechanisms of hazardous outcomes, and potential desirable interventions to alleviate the impairment.

Chemical Scalp Burn after Hair Coloring—Case Report with Literature Review

“…The effect depends on the depth of penetration into the hair shaft and the time of exposure to the dye ingredients. Moreover, depending on the mechanism of action, oxidative and non-oxidative dyes are distinguished [ 9 ]. Permanent hair dyes consist of three main groups of ingredients.…”

“…Direct contact of oxidizing substances with the skin causes coagulative necrosis. Due to overheated aluminium foils and hair dryers, thermal burns may coincide [ 9 ].…”

“…A serious complication of scalp burns is irreversible damage to the hair follicles, which results in cicatricial alopecia [ 9 ]. Moreover, carcinogenesis and the development of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin may occur within the scar [ 20 ].…”