Latex in Hair Extensions Glue May Trigger Allergy

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Thursday January 24 5:50 PM ET

Latex in Hair Extensions Glue May Trigger Allergy

By Schorr

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Glues used in hair extensions and false

eyelashes may contain natural rubber latex and should be avoided by those

sensitive to latex, researchers report.

``This was an alert for allergists to know this stuff is out there and it

can cause severe reactions in people allergic to latex,'' study co-author

Dr. H. Beezhold, director of immunobiology at the Guthrie Research

Institute in Sayre, Pennsylvania, told Reuters Health.

Beezhold and colleague Dr. Frederick C. Cogen, chief of allergy at the

Wood School of Medicine, report on a case of a 37-year-old

woman who had a severe allergic reaction after repeated exposure to hair

bonding glue while she was getting a hair weave.

The woman had experienced previous skin irritations while using latex gloves

but did not realize she was allergic to latex, he said. A subsequent skin

test and blood test indicated she had antibodies to latex present in her

system, according to the report in the January issue of the ls of

Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.

The women experienced intense itching all over her body, hives, swelling,

runny nose and eyes and a rapid heart rate, the report indicates. The glue

used by the woman does note on the bottle that it contains natural rubber

latex. However, Beezhold and Cogen point out, many people with this allergy

or their cosmetologists may not think to check whether these products

contain latex and could trigger such a reaction.

The researchers estimate about 7% of the population has a potential

sensitivity to latex, although only about 1% will develop obvious symptoms.

``It would be worthwhile for consumers to know when they're touching latex

products that have the potential to cause allergy,'' Cogen said. ``We think

doctors and people using this material should be aware, and cosmetologists

who are selling and putting this on people should certainly be aware.''

Beezhold warned that the glues used in hair extensions and false eyelashes

may contain even higher amounts of allergens than in latex gloves. ``It's a

rare source, but because it is so concentrated, it can be a potent source,''

he stressed.

The researchers report this is the second documented case of such a severe

allergic reaction from a cosmetic hair bond and the first in which the cause

was well characterized. Last year, researchers reported on the death of a

28-year-old fashion designer in Britain who died shortly after receiving a

hair extension.

``The popularity of hair bonds is growing,'' Cogen said. ``We think these

reactions are ubiquitous--and underreported.''

SOURCE: ls of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology 2002;88:61-63.

http://dailynews./h/nm/20020124/hl/latex.html