The situation that started like two snipers carefully picking their shots has now turned into the opening scene from Saving Private Ryan! Pop pop pop as OSHA sends a few over Brazilian Blowouts bow quickly followed with a tat tat tat as Brazilian Blowouts attorneys return fire, claiming OSHA didn't perform proper tests on the product and (talk about desperate) even insinuated that stylists may have filled another keratin companies product and used Brazilian Blowout's bottles! We need to ask ourselves...all this for soft, frizz-free hair?
Some wonder how after all this time and the treatments success why now? Didn't anyone see this coming? Truth is it was just a matter of time. Many beauty industry websites and blogs spoke up when the popularity of these treatments first started. Several salons refused to compromise dollars in favor of their employee's health but with this crazy economy caved and realizing that their customers were simply making appointments with their competitions they began offering the service. But it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that heating a dangerous chemical that if accidentally spilled on public roads you would witness what looks like (sorry movie buff here) a scene from the film Outbreak. Yea that's right HAZMAT suites, firefighters and a lot of yellow tape! Just a little FYI but I thought it interesting to see a basic protocol for a Formaldehyde spill ...ready? Hold your breath!
Ventilate area of leak or spill. Remove all sources of ignition. Wear appropriate personal protective equipment as specified in Section 8. Isolate hazard area. Keep unnecessary and unprotected personnel from entering. Contain and recover liquid when possible. Use non-sparking tools and equipment. Collect liquid in an appropriate container or absorb with an inert material (e. g., vermiculite, dry sand, earth), and place in a chemical waste container. Do not use combustible materials, such as saw dust. Do not flush to sewer! US Regulations (CERCLA) require reporting spills and releases to soil, water and air in excess of reportable quantities. The toll free number for the US Coast Guard National Response Center is (800) 424-8802. If a leak or spill has not ignited, use water spray to disperse the vapors, to protect personnel attempting to stop leak, and to flush spills away from exposures.
So what started with one salon in Oregon complaining chest pains, sore throats and even bloody noses from exposure to the treatment has now become the beauty industries biggest scandal. As of now several lawsuits have been filed including the attorney general's office in California and Oregon, Canada's Health Department and now talks of Australia following the trend. It's unclear how this will all play out but it doesn't look good. Companies like Peter Coppola's Keratin Complex, Marcia, Global and many others have made a fortune all at the expense of hairstylist and consumers.
Now although consumers are very much involved from a fraud standpoint, as they were deceived by these companies that the product contained no Formalin or Formaldehyde, the fact is the hairstylists have to most to lose. Here's a simple analogy - a consumer is like an individual who, although not a smoker, frequents the clubs and bars on a weekend. Yea it's possible that second hand smoke may affect their health but it cannot be compared to the stylist who by being surrounded by these dangerous fumes is more like a two pack a day chain smoker. Many stylists are coming forward because they themselves did not want to perform the keratin service but salon owners allowed other stylists to do as many as possible not wanting to lose out on an easy $150-$300 in this economy.
Many of the big Keratin companies are now scrambling to come up with solutions that do not contain the deadly chemical but not out of want but due to the fact that all this attention has been bad for business and with other countries considering a ban of the treatments.
One company that recently stood out is Kerapure. This is one of the few companies that were working on a Formaldehyde-free solution before it was considered to be a problem. Kerapure uses an amino acid that mimics similar outcomes of the Formaldehyde versions. The company admits that their product will not be exactly like those with Formaldehyde but with clients living longer and not coming down with possible lung tumors in the near future I think companies like Kerapure are putting priorities in the right spot.
Only time will tell but hopefully all this fighting will soon end. Once these cases make it to court instead of an all out gun battle it will be more like "Turn back to back, walk ten paces, face each other ...fire!" We can only wait till the smoke clears.
With over 100 years of collective experience, the firm of Thomas & Pearl has successfully protected the rights of individuals from corporations and insurance companies. From Fort Lauderdale's humble beginnings in 1973, Thomas & Pearl's legal expertise and reputation grew across Florida to cover everything from Workers Compensation to Auto Accidents, Personal Injury to Labor Law.
