The Analytical Scientist / Issues / 2014 / Jul / Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?
Chromatography Gas Chromatography

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow?

Carcinogen levels in hairdressers’ blood appear to be linked to number of coloring treatments

By Stephanie Vine 07/28/2014 1 min read

Share

Objective:

To investigate the concentrations of potentially carcinogenic aromatic amines in the blood of hairdressers and consumers using hair dyes and treatments.

Approach:
  • Study Design: The study analyzed blood samples from 295 hairdressers, 32 consumers, and 60 control subjects who had not dyed their hair in the past year for eight potentially carcinogenic aromatic amines.
  • Methodology: Liquid phase extraction was used to extract aromatic amines from blood, followed by analysis using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.
Key Findings:
  • Concentrations of ortho-toluidine in the blood of hairdressers increased with the number of treatments per week using light-color permanent hair dyes and hair waving treatments.
  • No statistically significant difference was found for six of the aromatic amines among hairdressers, consumers, and controls.
  • Meta-toluidine has been assessed as 'not classifiable as carcinogenic to humans' due to lack of data.
Interpretation:

Limitations:
  • The study did not find significant differences for most aromatic amines.
  • Meta-toluidine's classification as non-carcinogenic is based on insufficient data.
Conclusion:

The researchers plan to measure selected aromatic amines in different hair dyes and hair waving products in Sweden.

Sources:

References

  1. G. Johansson et al., “Exposure of Hairdressers to Ortho-and Meta-toluidine in Hair Dyes”, Occup. Environ. Med. doi:10.1136/oemed-2013-101960 (2014). www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/methylan.html#ref6

About the Author(s)

Stephanie Vine

"Making great scientific magazines isn’t just about delivering knowledge and high quality content; it’s also about packaging these in the right words to ensure that someone is truly inspired by a topic. My passion is ensuring that our authors’ expertise is presented as a seamless and enjoyable reading experience, whether in print, in digital or on social media. I’ve spent seven years writing and editing features for scientific and manufacturing publications, and in making this content engaging and accessible without sacrificing its scientific integrity. There is nothing better than a magazine with great content that feels great to read."

More Articles by Stephanie Vine

Recommended