Hair pomades cause temporary blindness and Anvisa takes products off the market

Anvisa updated, this Tuesday (31) the inspection measures regarding hair styling ointments that cause serious adverse effects such as eye burns and temporary blindness. The agency recommends suspending the use of the products indicated in the document.

The modeling ointments are used for hairstyles, from models for weddings to braids and the so-called Baby hair. These are products that are often used on curly and curly hair to bring definition, but can be applied to any type of hair.

Psychologist and university professor Jaqueline de Jesus reports that she has been using braids for two years and had never had a problem with the ointments, until December. “I couldn’t do the maintenance with my braider, and I used the Braid Fix ointment to fix the top part of my hair for an event”, she says.

After taking the rain, Jaqueline began to feel pain in her eyes and difficulty seeing. Her vision was completely blurred. The ointment had leaked into her right eye, causing damage to the eye tissue.

Jaqueline was treated at the emergency room at Ibol (Brazilian Institute of Ophthalmology) in Botafogo, where the doctor applied an analgesic and an ophthalmic ointment, in addition to a patch on her right eye. Afterwards, the teacher spent another week using a therapeutic contact lens and ten days applying eye drops.

“I was able to pay for the treatment and in a week I had already recovered my sight, but I had to use private care”, he reports. She says she has already notified Anvisa about what happened and suspended the use of the product. “It was never thought to have this risk, but I think it’s recommended to avoid using it for now. It’s not an essential product for braiding.”

The ointment used by Jesus, Braids Fix, had its commercialization, distribution, manufacture, use and associated publicity prohibited after determination by Anvisa.

How to avoid problems when using ointments?

Hairdresser Helo Silva says that pomades are widely used because, unlike gels and other stylers – which tend to be very wet –, they make the hair more consistent and easier to style. “It facilitates the work and leaves the finish more beautiful.”

She says she always advises her clients to be careful with their eyes and, in over ten years working in the area, she has never seen cases of burns or temporary blindness.

“The first care is ours, you can’t put too much product. The best option is to use it on dry hair and instruct the client to, when washing, put her head back”, he says. The professional also recommends not going to the beach or pool before the first wash.

The tips are reinforced by dermatologist Fernanda Porphirio, specialist in Dermatology and Aesthetics at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. “The ointments have not been tested ophthalmologically, they are not authorized for this use”, she points out.

Porphirio says that many cosmetics have propylene glycol alcohol in their composition, which at high rates can cause eye damage. “It is possible that these products have exceeded the concentration allowed by Anvisa.”

The agency has not yet issued an official position on the component responsible for the problems, and informs that the samples are under analysis. In the meantime, it is recommended to suspend the use of brands that have been linked to cases of adverse effects.

Porphirio points out that ointments in general are not necessarily harmful, but rather a component that is being used by some brands. When using them, the dermatologist recommends a series of precautions:

• Check the Anvisa website to check if the product is authorized;
• Pay attention to the instructions for use on the label and do not use the product for other purposes;
• Avoid activities that make you sweat a lot or wet the wires;
• Wash hands after using the product;
• Respect the expiration date;
• Do not use the product in case of change in smell, color or consistency;
• If there is contact with the eyes, rinse immediately with saline solution.

The Rio de Janeiro Regional Chemistry Council also launched a booklet with guidelines for the use of cosmetics.

The trancista Lu Safro chooses to avoid the use of ointments while uncertainties about the risks remain, and prefers other more traditional products.

“The explosion in the use of ointment for braiding hair has been going on for four years now. It comes from a very American reference, it’s something they use a lot over there”, she reports. She says that pomades have been on the market for a long time, but they were more used in other hairstyles.

“Due to a market need, many small companies started to produce these products, which end up arriving without inspection”, he comments.

The trancista claims that she also never had any problems. “I think the cases we’ve seen come more from domestic use than from professional use,” she opines. At home, the product is often used inappropriately.

“People even use it on their eyebrows, which is not recommended”, says Safro. Many also use the ointments to do the Baby hairwhich the trancista does not advise either.

Despite this, she points out that the responsibility does not lie with those who are using the products, but with the brands. “A product used on hair shouldn’t have such severe effects,” she says.

While the ointments are still under investigation, the experts’ recommendation is to reinforce care and prioritize other types of products, always verified by Anvisa.

Products prohibited by Anvisa

Since the first cases of burns and temporary blindness, Anvisa has taken inspection measures in relation to more than 80 products. The guidelines can be preventive, such as collection of lots, or cancellation of authorization. In all cases, the products must not be marketed or used.

See the rulings:

Prohibition, suspension, precautionary interdiction or collection

Cancellation of the regularization process

*The products were banned, suspended, cautiously interdicted or recalled, while their regularization process was also canceled.