'Brazilian blow-dry treatment ruined my health'
Former hairdresser Louisa Curtis says exposure to formaldehyde gas left her unable to work.
A former hairdresser claims she has been left with breathing difficulties and unable to work after years of carrying out Brazilian blow-drying treatments.
Louisa Curtis, 55, from Milton Keynes, said she has suffered burns to her respiratory system from formaldehyde gases being released during straightening clients' hair for many years.
She did not know why her health was deteriorating but said her GP had recently linked her long-term symptoms to these treatments.
"My health is now in an unbelievable state. I live with constant pain; I struggle with mobility and can barely walk up the stairs," she said.
Brazilian blow-drying treatments, which involve applying keratin formula to the hair, are widely used to reduce frizz and strengthen hair.
Curtis recalled how she was taken to hospital with breathing difficulties after carrying out a hair-smoothing treatment in March.
She said healthcare staff told her she had suffered burns to her respiratory system caused by exposure to the gas.
The discovery finally provided her with an explanation for years of unexplained illness.
"Looking back, I started getting symptoms that affected every part of my life not long after I began carrying out these treatments [regularly in 2008]," said Curtis.
They included headaches, breathing difficulties, chest pain, chronic fatigue, skin rashes, bone growths on her head, swollen joints, joint pain, memory problems, eye irritation and severe mobility issues.
She said she underwent numerous medical investigations, but until March nobody had been able to fully explain why her health had deteriorated.
