Keratin Made My Hair Fall Out! A Cautionary Tale

My hair horror all started with a lone PR email that floated its way into my inbox.

"Would you like to get a free keratin treatment?"

It was a slow Thursday afternoon at work, and I stared at my email. As the editor of a site for young women, I receive my fair share of beauty pitch emails from publicists shucking their wares, hoping to lure editors in with the promise of free goods or services. Usually, I'm pretty immune -- but this one from a New York hair salon had piqued my interest.

All I really knew about keratin was that it was really expensive and it was supposed to make your hair shiny. Scientifically, keratin, which has a popular brand version called the Brazilian Blowout, is a protein found naturally in your hair. When mixed with formaldehyde and applied to the hair with a flat iron, the protein seals itself into your hair, smoothing cracks and damage to the follicle and giving your locks a long-lasting silkening effect. Obviously, the formaldehyde part of the process is controversial, as the substance is hazardous and potentially carcinogenic.

Read the full story and see photos at Huffington Post