DMDM hydantoin has been in the news and all over social media over the past few months. Some people actually claim the DMDM hydantoin has caused them to have hair loss.
Now you might be asking yourself, what is DMDM hydantoin? DMDM hydantoin is a preservative and antimicrobial agent found in many cosmetic and personal care products.
Manufacturers use DMDM hydantoin as it can prevent the product from spoiling and prevent the growth of harmful fungi and bacteria. What caught people’s attention was that DMDM hydantoin releases small amounts of formaldehyde and that seemed to be the cause for concern. Some people claim there could be a link between DMDM hydantoin and hair loss and this eventually led to a number of class action suits against some of the larger producers of shampoos and conditioners.
But is DMDM hydantoin in fact causing hair loss?
As far as we know, it is unlikely that DMDM hydantoin or the formaldehyde that is released is causing hair loss. We know that formaldehyde is a known allergenic, which means that some people are known to be allergic to it and could get dermatitis from that. However, we also know that the amount of formaldehyde released by DMDM hydantoin is most likely a very small amount.
That being said, if the thought of having formaldehyde in your hair product bothers you, it is important to know it is not uncommon for hair care products to include formaldehyde or have formaldehyde-releasing agents. One of the most common treatments we see this with is hair smoothing treatments like keratin treatments, which the FDA actually published a notice about last year.
Ultimately, it is unlikely that DMDM hydantoin or its release of formaldehyde is causing significant hair loss to the users of the shampoo and conditioners that contain them as the class action suits allege, but this whole ordeal is an important lesson about how little we often know about the ingredients in the products that we use.
Just know that at Medi Tresse we strive to offer the safest and hair healthy products possible and all of our products are free of DMDM hydantoin.
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