At least one Prince George hair salon has stopped offering a hair treatment that Health Canada said could put consumers' health at risk.
The Brazilian Blowout, manufactured in California, is a chemical treatment that straightens hair for up to three months. The concern surrounds the amount of formaldehyde in the product.
Razors Edge Hair Studio and Day Spa has only been offering the treatment for the last couple months and haven't gone through half a bottle, said Tammy Ferreira, manager of the salon.
"I don't want to add to any of the hype or speculation surrounding the product, but we have stopped offering the product until the facts come out," she said.
"We've only given the treatment to 10, maybe 12 people and nobody has had any of the effects Health Canada is warning about - not the consumers or our stylists."
It is warned that the treatment might cause people to experience reactions of burning eyes, nose, throat and breathing troubles. There is also one report of hair loss.
Health Canada conducted its own testing, finding Brazilian Blowout Solution contains 12 per cent formaldhyde, a known irritant and sensitizer, also linked to cancer in humans when inhaled chronically over a long period of time. Currently, formaldehyde is permitted in cosmetics at less than 0.2 per cent when used as a preservative.
Ferreira said the bottle their spa purchase says it contains no formaldehyde.
"There is controversy of the testing that happened in Oregon, and we've never experienced any of these issues. But customer safety is important to us, which is why we've pulled the product for now," she said.
The Brazilian Blowout website states the testing methods used in Oregon do not properly measure formaldehyde in water based cosmetic products, attributing this to scientist Doug Schoon.
The flaws in testing methods have led to "erroneously reporting levels of formaldehyde that cannot possibly exist in the product, especially given that formaldehyde is a gas," said Schoon.
No comments have been made in regards to the testing by Health Canada.
While salons across Canada have offered the product for years, the treatment isn't offered commonly offered in Prince George salons.
Plush Aveda Spa and Hair Studio said they don't offer the treatment and never have, stating there just wasn't enough demand. Chatters Salon, however, said they did see a demand and were planning on bringing in the product, but weren't sure what would happen in light of the health concerns.
