Woman suffers kidney damage after hair-straightening session

Chandigarh, March 29

In a recent study published in The New England Journal of Medicine, doctors have described a case of kidney damage in a young woman following hair-straightening sessions at a salon.

Her identity remains confidential.

According to reports, the 26-year-old woman underwent hair straightening sessions in June 2020, April 2021 and July 2022.

Despite having no prior health issues, she experienced alarming symptoms after each session, including vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, and back pain. Additionally, she reported a burning sensation on her scalp during the treatments and developed ulcers on her head.

Doctors observed kidney malfunction after finding elevated levels of creatinine in her blood. She had blood in her urine. Despite conducting a CT scan, no signs of infection or blockage in her kidneys were detected.

Upon further investigation, the woman disclosed that the hair-straightening cream used on her contained glyoxylic acid. The doctors concluded that this chemical likely caused her scalp to burn and ulcerate, with subsequent absorption through the skin, leading to kidney damage.