Armenti, Karla R.

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryInstitute on Disability College of Health & Human Services (CHHS)8-1-2015Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs-What Salon WorkersNeed to Know About Their Risk for Work-RelatedAsthmaKarla R. ArmentiUniversity of New Hampshire, Durham, Karla.Armenti@unh.eduFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/iod_chhsThis Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Health & Human Services (CHHS) at University of New Hampshire Scholars'Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Institute on Disability by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars'Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationArmenti, K. Fact sheet (2015) Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs-What Salon Workers Need to Know About Their Risk for Work-RelatedAsthma, Occupational Health Surveillance Program, NH Department of Health and Human Services. Concord, NHWhat is work-related asthma? Asthma is a chronic lung disease where the flow of air 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    asthma. Symptoms may start right after you breathe in       the substance or may start hours after leaving work. Sometimes a person can suddenly develop work-related asthma from chemicals they have worked with for years. It is not understood why some workers get asthma while others who have the same exposures do not. Can hair and nail products cause or trigger asthma?  YES!   You might not expect it, but hair and nail salon products used at work can cause asthma or make your asthma worse. People who spend more of their day exposed to chemicals at 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 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 manufacturers are not required to list all of the ingredients in products sold for profes-sional use. • Salon workers can look at the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) associated with the product, where all of the hazardous ingredients must appear. How to Recognize Work-Related Asthma • Coughing • Wheezing • Difficulty Breathing • Shortness of Breath • Chest Tightness                                                  These symptoms may not occur until early the next morning or towards the end of the work week. Usually only some of the employees who are exposed to  these chemicals develop occupational asthma and they may be affected at different times.  However, if one employee is 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. August 2015 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs  What Salon Workers Need to Know About Their Risk for Work-Related Asthma In collabora'on with the NH Department of Health and Human Services  Some hazardous       ingredients  in salon products can be    avoided by purchasing alternave products.   For those that can’t be avoided, you can take precauons to protect your health.     NH Asthma Collaborave   asthmanownh.org                     Page 1If  you work in a beauty or nail salon, you should know about work-related asthma.  NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 2Hazardous 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 when heated). ♦ Nail products:  acetone, acetonitrile, butyl ace-tate, dibutyl phthalate, ethyl acetate, ethyl meth-acrylate, formaldehyde, isopropyl acetate, meth-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. Many of the products on this list contain chemi-cals that also fall under the New Hampshire Haz-ardous Waste Rules. When the products are no longer usable they cannot be disposed of in the trash or put down the drain). Follow state and feder-al guidelines for proper disposal of hazardous wastes. For more information call 1-866-HazWast.   Page 2         Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs        The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires product manufacturers to provide salon owners with safety data sheets (SDS) for the products they buy that contain hazardous chemi-cals.   Your employer must also train you on the chemicals’ potential hazards and how to use the products safely. In general, an SDS must provide the following:  Best Prac'ces to Reduce Exposure    ♦ What else? 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. Page 3 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs ♦ Ensure you assess all new products before use. ♦ Make a list of all hazardous products used in the salon and obtain Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from the manufacturers.  ♦ Prepare a Hazard Communica-tion Plan that identifies hazard-ous chemicals in the workplace and describes hazards, warning labels, and training for staff. ♦ Train staff in the safe use and disposal of chemicals in the workplace. ♦ General ventilation should be provided with an adequate sup-ply of fresh outside air (NH requirements at: www.nh.gov/cosmet). ♦ If your salon does not have an exhaust system, always keep the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system on during work hours. ♦ Consider a ventilated down-draft table when working with artificial nails, with air ex-hausted to the outdoors. ♦ If fans are used, outside air from an open window should blow the chemicals away from the worker’s face before being vented out of the salon. ♦ Keep trash cans tightly closed. ♦ Wear appropriate protective clothing, including respirators (check your product label or SDS). ♦ Use small amounts of the prod-uct when performing services. ♦ Close bottles tightly when you are not using them so the prod-uct does not spill or get into the air. ♦ Store chemicals in small bot-tles with small openings and label them with the infor-mation from the manufactur-er’s label. ♦ When possible, require work-ers to use lower heat settings on blow-dryers and flat irons. ♦ Wash hands before and after use. ♦ Keep food and drinks covered at all times, and do not store or eat food in work areas.             • Hazardous ingredients in the product; • How you can be exposed to the ingredients; • Health and safety risks you face when using the product; and • Steps for safely using and storing the product, including what to do in emergencies.  Be aware that SDS may not contain all the infor-mation needed to help protect you. For example, the manufacturer may state that you should wear “impervious gloves,” but not specify the type.  More information can be found at OSHA’s Haz-ard Communication Standard web page:  www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html Safety Data Sheets (SDS) NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 3If a product contains 0.1% or more formaldehyde or can release formaldehyde into the air above 0.1 ppm, then the product label must include the following information, as required by OSHA's Formaldehyde standard, 29 CFR 1910.1048(m)(3): • a statement that the product has formalde-hyde in it; • the name and address of the manufacturer, importer, or other company responsible for the product; • a statement that the employer and SDSs can readily give health hazard information.  Additionally, if the product can release formalde-hyde into the air above 0.5 ppm, the label must also have the following information: • a list of all product health and safety hazards; • the phrase "Potential Cancer Hazard."  It can be difficult to determine which hair products contain or can release formaldehyde. Even products that do not list formaldehyde or methylene glycol on the label, or that claim to be “formaldehyde-free” or “no formaldehyde,” can still expose workers to      formaldehyde. OSHA requires manufacturers of products that con-tain or release formaldehyde to include information about formaldehyde and its hazards on the label and in the SDS. Formaldehyde must be listed if it is in the product at 0.1% or more (as a gas or in solution) or if the product releases formaldehyde above 0.1 parts of formaldehyde per million parts (ppm) of air.  Salons and other employers that directly import hair smoothing products from other countries have the same responsibilities as a manufacturer under the Hazard Communication standard—they must deter-mine the hazards of the product and develop labels and SDSs that communicate the hazards to users. How to Choose Safer Alterna'ves If salon owners decide to use products that contain formaldehyde, then they must follow the requirements in OSHA’s             Formaldehyde Standard. A Note About Chemical Hair Smoothing Products and Labels Page 4 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 4Salon Ac'vity Chemical Name Safer Alterna've Hair Dyes and Lighteners paraphenylenediamine (PPD) Choose a botancial dye without hair lighteners, or use a PPD alternative with hydrogen peroxide to lighten hair and improve dye process  Hair Glue, for wigs and extensions 1, 4 Dioxane, Stryene, Trichlorthlene, Toluene  Choose a hair weave process that doesn’t require glue, or use a botani-cal glue  Chemical Hair Straighteners Cyclopentasiloxane or  Cyclometicone, Fomaldehyde or Methylene glycol (Brazilian Blowout) Use a flat iron with a botanical hair straightening spray, or just use water Nails Dibutyl Phthalate, Formaldehyde or meth-ylene glycol, Toluene Choose a nail polish without these chemicals. (look for “3 Free” or acid free).  Or buff your nails with a pad once a week at most so not to thin the nail. Nail polish  remover Acetone Choose a botantical alternative with plant oils (always check the SDS before using them) Resources  American Lung Association          www.lung.org/workplacewellness ASHRAE standards        www.ashrae.org/home Breathe NH   www.breathenh.org Environmental Working Group Skin Deep       www.ewg.org/skindeep/ NH Asthma Control Program         www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdpc/asthma NH Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics       www.nh.gov/cosmet/index.htm NH Occupational Health  Surveillance Program       www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/hsdm/ohs NH WorkWISE  www.keene.edu/academics/conted/safety/workwise/ NIOSH Artificial Nails Topic Page       www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/manicure/ NJ Right to Know  Hazardous Substance List       web.doh.state.nj.us/rtkhsfs/rtkhsl.aspx NJ Safe Schools Program       www.njsafeschools.org/Cosmetology/index.html Ontario Lung Association Work Related Asthma       www.on.lung.ca/work-related-asthma OSHA Occupational Asthma        www.osha.gov/SLTC/occupationalasthma/index.html OSHA’s Nail Salon Site   www.osha.gov/SLTC/nailsalons/ OSHA’s Formaldehyde Site   www.osha.gov/SLTC/hairsalons/formaldehyde_in_products.html Campaign for Safe Cosmetics      www.safecosmetics.org Women’s Voices for the Earth       www.womensvoices.org/ California Safe Cosmetics Program        hp://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cosmecs/Pages/default.aspx NH OHSP is supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE). This project was supported by Grant # 5U60OH009853 from CDC-NIOSH. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH. Page 5 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs Acknowledgements Women’s Voices for the Earth (www.womensvoices.org/issues/reports/beauty-and-its-beast/) NJ Safe Schools, Health Concerns for Cosmetologists (sph.rutgers.edu/training/NJ_Safe_Schools/Cosmetology/health_concerns.html) The Ontario Lung Associa/on’s Asthma Ac/on Plan for Hair, Nail & Beauty Salons   (www.on.lung.ca/document.doc?id=1128) Photos on pages 3 and 4, complements of Pellé Salon,  Manchester, NH NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 5NH Asthma Control Program Telephone: 603-271-0855 www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdpc/asthma/   NH Occupational Health Surveillance Program Telephone:  603-271-8425 www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/hsdm/ohs 

Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs-What Salon Workers Need to Know About Their Risk for Work-Related Asthma

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Institute on Disability College of Health & Human Services (CHHS)
8-1-2015
Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs-What Salon Workers
Need to Know About Their Risk for Work-Related
Asthma
Karla R. Armenti
University of New Hampshire, Durham, Karla.Armenti@unh.edu
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/iod_chhs
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Health & Human Services (CHHS) at University of New Hampshire Scholars'
Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Institute on Disability by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars'
Repository. For more information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Armenti, K. Fact sheet (2015) Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs-What Salon Workers Need to Know About Their Risk for Work-Related
Asthma, Occupational Health Surveillance Program, NH Department of Health and Human Services. Concord, NH
What is work-related asthma? 
Asthma is a chronic lung disease where the flow of air 
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    
asthma. Symptoms may start right after you breathe in       
the substance or may start hours after leaving work. 
Sometimes a person can suddenly develop work-related asthma from chemicals they have 
worked with for years. It is not understood why some workers get asthma while others who 
have the same exposures do not. 
Can hair and nail products cause or trigger asthma? 
 
YES!   
You might not expect it, but hair and nail salon products used at work can cause asthma or 
make your asthma worse. People who spend more of their day exposed to chemicals at 
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 
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 
manufacturers are not required to list all of the ingredients in products sold for profes-
sional use. 
• Salon workers can look at the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) associated with the product, 
where all of the hazardous ingredients must appear. 
How to Recognize Work-Related Asthma 
• Coughing 
• Wheezing 
• Difficulty Breathing 
• Shortness of Breath 
• Chest Tightness 
                                                 
These symptoms may not occur until early the next morning 
or towards the end of the work week. 
Usually only some of the employees who are exposed to  
these chemicals develop occupational asthma and they may 
be affected at different times.  However, if one employee is 
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. 
August 2015 
Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs 
 
What Salon Workers Need to Know About Their Risk 
for Work-Related Asthma 
In collabora'on with 
the NH Department 
of Health and Human 
Services 
 
Some hazardous       
ingredients  in salon 
products can be    
avoided by purchasing 
alternave products. 
  For those that can’t be 
avoided, you can take 
precauons to protect 
your health. 
 
  
 
NH Asthma Collaborave   asthmanownh.org                     Page 1
If  you work 
in a beauty 
or nail salon, 
you should 
know about 
work-related 
asthma. 
 
NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 2
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 
when heated). 
♦ Nail products:  acetone, acetonitrile, butyl ace-
tate, dibutyl phthalate, ethyl acetate, ethyl meth-
acrylate, formaldehyde, isopropyl acetate, meth-
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. 
Many of the products on this list contain chemi-
cals that also fall under the New Hampshire Haz-
ardous Waste Rules. When the products are no 
longer usable they cannot be disposed of in the 
trash or put down the drain). Follow state and feder-
al guidelines for proper disposal of hazardous 
wastes. For more information call 1-866-HazWast. 
  Page 2         Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Occupational Safety 
and Health Administration 
(OSHA) requires product 
manufacturers to provide 
salon owners with safety 
data sheets (SDS) for the 
products they buy that 
contain hazardous chemi-
cals.  
 
Your employer must also 
train you on the chemicals’ 
potential hazards and how 
to use the products safely. 
In general, an SDS must 
provide the following:  
Best Prac'ces to Reduce Exposure   
 
♦ What else? 
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. 
Page 3 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs 
♦ Ensure you assess all new 
products before use. 
♦ Make a list of all hazardous 
products used in the salon and 
obtain Safety Data Sheets 
(SDS) from the manufacturers.  
♦ Prepare a Hazard Communica-
tion Plan that identifies hazard-
ous chemicals in the workplace 
and describes hazards, warning 
labels, and training for staff. 
♦ Train staff in the safe use and 
disposal of chemicals in the 
workplace. 
♦ General ventilation should be 
provided with an adequate sup-
ply of fresh outside air (NH 
requirements at: www.nh.gov/
cosmet). 
♦ If your salon does not have an 
exhaust system, always keep 
the heating, ventilation, and air 
conditioning (HVAC) system 
on during work hours. 
♦ Consider a ventilated down-
draft table when working with 
artificial nails, with air ex-
hausted to the outdoors. 
♦ If fans are used, outside air 
from an open window should 
blow the chemicals away from 
the worker’s face before being 
vented out of the salon. 
♦ Keep trash cans tightly closed. 
♦ Wear appropriate protective 
clothing, including respirators 
(check your product label or 
SDS). 
♦ Use small amounts of the prod-
uct when performing services. 
♦ Close bottles tightly when you 
are not using them so the prod-
uct does not spill or get into 
the air. 
♦ Store chemicals in small bot-
tles with small openings and 
label them with the infor-
mation from the manufactur-
er’s label. 
♦ When possible, require work-
ers to use lower heat settings 
on blow-dryers and flat irons. 
♦ Wash hands before and after 
use. 
♦ Keep food and drinks covered 
at all times, and do not store or 
eat food in work areas. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
• Hazardous ingredients in the product; 
• How you can be exposed to the ingredients; 
• Health and safety risks you face when using 
the product; and 
• Steps for safely using and storing the product, 
including what to do in emergencies. 
 
Be aware that SDS may not contain all the infor-
mation needed to help protect you. For example, 
the manufacturer may state that you should wear 
“impervious gloves,” but not specify the type. 
 
More information can be found at OSHA’s Haz-
ard Communication Standard web page:  
www.osha.gov/dsg/hazcom/index.html 
Safety Data Sheets (SDS) 
NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 3
If a product contains 0.1% or more formaldehyde 
or can release formaldehyde into the air above 
0.1 ppm, then the product label must include the 
following information, as required by OSHA's 
Formaldehyde standard, 29 CFR 1910.1048(m)
(3): 
• a statement that the product has formalde-
hyde in it; 
• the name and address of the manufacturer, 
importer, or other company responsible for 
the product; 
• a statement that the employer and SDSs can 
readily give health hazard information. 
 
Additionally, if the product can release formalde-
hyde into the air above 0.5 ppm, the label must 
also have the following information: 
• a list of all product health and safety hazards; 
• the phrase "Potential Cancer Hazard." 
 
It can be difficult to determine which hair products 
contain or can release formaldehyde. Even products 
that do not list formaldehyde or methylene glycol on 
the label, or that claim to be “formaldehyde-free” or 
“no formaldehyde,” can still expose workers to      
formaldehyde. 
OSHA requires manufacturers of products that con-
tain or release formaldehyde to include information 
about formaldehyde and its hazards on the label and 
in the SDS. Formaldehyde must be listed if it is in the 
product at 0.1% or more (as a gas or in solution) or if 
the product releases formaldehyde above 0.1 parts of 
formaldehyde per million parts (ppm) of air.  
Salons and other employers that directly import hair 
smoothing products from other countries have the 
same responsibilities as a manufacturer under the 
Hazard Communication standard—they must deter-
mine the hazards of the product and develop labels 
and SDSs that communicate the hazards to users. 
How to Choose Safer Alterna'ves 
If salon owners decide to 
use products that contain 
formaldehyde, then they 
must follow the 
requirements in OSHA’s             
Formaldehyde Standard. 
A Note About Chemical Hair Smoothing Products and Labels 
Page 4 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs 
NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 4
Salon Ac'vity Chemical Name Safer Alterna've 
Hair Dyes and 
Lighteners 
paraphenylenediamine 
(PPD) 
Choose a botancial dye without hair 
lighteners, or use a PPD alternative 
with hydrogen peroxide to lighten 
hair and improve dye process  
Hair Glue, for wigs 
and extensions 
1, 4 Dioxane, Stryene, 
Trichlorthlene, 
Toluene  
Choose a hair weave process that 
doesn’t require glue, or use a botani-
cal glue 
 
Chemical Hair 
Straighteners 
Cyclopentasiloxane or  
Cyclometicone, 
Fomaldehyde or 
Methylene glycol 
(Brazilian Blowout) 
Use a flat iron with a botanical hair 
straightening spray, or just use water 
Nails Dibutyl Phthalate, 
Formaldehyde or meth-
ylene glycol, Toluene 
Choose a nail polish without these 
chemicals. (look for “3 Free” or acid 
free).  Or buff your nails with a pad 
once a week at most so not to thin 
the nail. 
Nail polish  
remover 
Acetone Choose a botantical alternative with 
plant oils (always check the SDS 
before using them) 
Resources 
 
American Lung Association          www.lung.org/workplacewellness 
ASHRAE standards        www.ashrae.org/home 
Breathe NH   www.breathenh.org 
Environmental Working Group Skin Deep       www.ewg.org/skindeep/ 
NH Asthma Control Program         www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdpc/asthma 
NH Board of Barbering, Cosmetology and Esthetics       www.nh.gov/cosmet/index.htm 
NH Occupational Health  Surveillance Program       www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/hsdm/ohs 
NH WorkWISE  www.keene.edu/academics/conted/safety/workwise/ 
NIOSH Artificial Nails Topic Page       www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/manicure/ 
NJ Right to Know  Hazardous Substance List       web.doh.state.nj.us/rtkhsfs/rtkhsl.aspx 
NJ Safe Schools Program       www.njsafeschools.org/Cosmetology/index.html 
Ontario Lung Association Work Related Asthma       www.on.lung.ca/work-related-asthma 
OSHA Occupational Asthma        www.osha.gov/SLTC/occupationalasthma/index.html 
OSHA’s Nail Salon Site   www.osha.gov/SLTC/nailsalons/ 
OSHA’s Formaldehyde Site   www.osha.gov/SLTC/hairsalons/formaldehyde_in_products.html 
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics      www.safecosmetics.org 
Women’s Voices for the Earth       www.womensvoices.org/ 
California Safe Cosmetics Program        hp://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/cosmecs/Pages/default.aspx 
NH OHSP is supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists 
(CSTE). This project was supported by Grant # 5U60OH009853 from CDC-NIOSH. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not 
necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH. 
Page 5 Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs 
Acknowledgements 
Women’s Voices for the Earth (www.womensvoices.org/issues/
reports/beauty-and-its-beast/) 
NJ Safe Schools, Health Concerns for Cosmetologists 
(sph.rutgers.edu/training/NJ_Safe_Schools/Cosmetology/
health_concerns.html) 
The Ontario Lung Associa/on’s Asthma Ac/on Plan for Hair, Nail 
& Beauty Salons   (www.on.lung.ca/document.doc?id=1128) 
Photos on pages 3 and 4, complements of Pellé Salon,  
Manchester, NH 
NH Asthma Collaborave    asthmanownh.org                           Page 5
NH Asthma Control Program 
Telephone: 603-271-0855 
www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/cdpc/asthma/  
 
NH Occupational Health Surveillance Program 
Telephone:  603-271-8425 
www.dhhs.nh.gov/dphs/hsdm/ohs 


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Healthy Body, Healthy Lungs-What Salon Workers Need to Know About Their Risk for Work-Related Asthma

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