Document 6476127
Transcription
Document 6476127
SUNDAYLIFE | SUNDAY, January 16, 2011 SERVING THE EXPRESS COMMUNITIES OF: Cortlandt, Croton, Mohegan Lake, Ossining, Peekskill, Yorktown YC B SECTION Yorktown&Cortlandt For more things to do, check out the calendar @ LoHud.com Straight talk about keratin hair treatments Co-owner Gabriel Abrams brushes in the product used for a Brazilian Blowout hair treatment on Rachael Lynch of Armonk at Numi & Co. in Scarsdale. Photos by Xavier Mascareñas/The Journal News Smoothing procedure is popular, but is it safe? BEFORE AFTER Linda Lombroso [email protected] Celebrities swear by them. Ordinary women tout their transformative powers. But keratin treatments, those coveted hair-smoothing procedures that eliminate frizz and make unmanageable BEYOND locks effortlessly sleek, are under KERATIN TREATMENTS: scrutiny — and it’s not just the $300-plus Salons offer price tags that are attracting attention. great services At issue is the amount of formalde- in your area, 5B hyde in the keratin solutions — even those that claim to be all-natural and formaldehyde-free. The treatments, which originated in Brazil, have SEE KERATIN, 4B Rachael Lynch prior to her Brazilian Blowout treatment at Numi & Co. Lynch after her Brazilian Blowout hair treatment. The smoothing effects last about three months. ROCK STAR RESIDENT 10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT CROTON-ON-HUDSON’S NED RUST Bill Cary [email protected] Submitted by Ned Rust Since getting his first novel published in 1976, über-author James Patterson has sold more than 170 million books worldwide. In 2007, one of every fifteen hardcover fiction books sold was a Patterson title. To maintain such a ferocious writing pace, in recent years, this sometime-Scarborough resident has been turning to co-authors to help him write his page-turning thrillers. The characters are still Patterson’s — and he usually starts the ball rolling with detailed outlines and plot points — then he continues to write and rewrite with his co-authors as INSIDE Travel: Offbeat Miami The MiMo district just north of downtown offers a chance to see the real Miami — and enjoy some delicious local bistros and independent boutiques. the book is shaped into its final form. Ned Rust, who also works full time as a sales and marketing director for Patterson’s publisher, the Hachette Book Group within Little, Brown, has now written two books with Patterson. Both are in Patterson’s newish young-adult series, his fastest growing franchise. The first, “Daniel X: Watch the Skies,” was published in 2009, and their most recent collaboration, “The Gift,” is just hitting stores now. “It took about a year to do, with plenty of back and forth” between the two authors, says Rust, who lives in Croton-on-Hudson and is now writing a third book with Patterson. “The Gift” is the second book in Patterson’s “Witch and Wizard” series of books for young adults (age 10 and up). It features teen siblings Wisty and Whit Allgood as they try to survive in a totalitarian regime that has banned books, movies, art and music. More than just writing partners, Rust has also teamed with Patterson on children’s literacy, working to get kids interested in books and reading at a very young age, then making them readers for life. Patterson has also developed a website devoted to just this topic, www.readkiddoread.com. Here are 10 things that you prob- Books Jay Kirk’s “Kingdom Under Glass: A Tale of Obsession, Adventure, and One Man’s Quest to Preserve the World’s Great Animals” chronicles the adventures of Carl Akeley, a taxidermist and conservationist who envisioned the lifelike dioramas in the Hall of African Mammals at the American Museum of Natural History. ably don’t know about Ned Rust. He’s already got a best-seller on his hands. “The Gift” is debuting today as No. 1 on the New York Times best-seller list for children’s chapter books. He’s a local boy — he grew up in Briarcliff Manor and graduated from Briarcliff High School in 1987. “Having grown up here made it easier to come back to the suburbs.” The daily commute to the city from the Croton-Harmon station creates lots of much-needed writing time. In fact, most of his writ- 1. 2. 3. SEE RUST, 5B It’s your choice on where you want to go... You can choose Open MRI of Yorktown - Friendly Out-Patient Environment - Same Day Appointments - Convenient Parking Over 12 years in the community caring for patients. Treating you like family. 345 Kear Street Yorktown Hgts., NY 10598 914-243-7462 www.imagimed.com *Located next to Murphy’s restaurant near the K-mart Plaza* 4B Sunday, January 16, 2011 The Journal News YC SUNDAY LIFE LoHud.com Photos by Xavier Mascareñas/The Journal News Owners Gabriel Abrams, left, and Nuriel Abramov flat-iron Rachael Lynch’s hair during the final phase of a Brazilian Blowout hair treatment at Numi & Co. in Scarsdale. KERATIN: Blow out makes life easy, but is it safe? CONTINUED FROM 1B been popular here for several years. American salons tend to offer two types, both of which promise hair that doesn’t require blow-drying to stay straight and smooth. “Express” services, often referred to as “Brazilian,” take about 90 minutes, allow for immediate shampooing and last up to three months. Traditional keratin treatments require a longer salon visit — often upward of three hours — prohibit styling or washing for several days afterward, and keep hair smooth for four to six months. Although different products are used in both treatments, each requires flat-ironing at high heat to seal in the chemicals that keep hair straight. And that’s where health concerns start to arise. Federal guidelines stipulate that products contain no more than .2 percent formaldehyde. But making sure that manufacturers adhere to government standards is difficult, because there is no pre-approval process before these products hit the market, says Scarsdale dermatologist Dr. Amy Newburger. “They can completely lie, and the public is vulnerable,’’ she says. Good chemistry? According to California chemist Doug Schoon, formalin, also called methylene glycol, is the active ingredient in most smoothing treatments — a fact that allows companies to claim their products are formaldehydefree. When hair is flat-ironed at 450 degrees, however, a chemical change causes formaldehyde to be released into the air. Although formaldehyde is a naturally occurring gas, it is also a known carcinogen. But is the formaldehyde emitted during keratin treatments enough to be dangerous? For a stylist who applies these products on a regular basis, there are concerns, since chronic inhalation can lead to respiratory problems. Even for clients, short-term exposure to formaldehyde can cause eye and nose irritation, breathing problems and headaches. In Ireland, they’ve stopped distributing many products still used in American salons — including solutions made by Peter Coppola, Marcia Teixeira and Brazilian Blowout — due to concerns about excessive formaldehyde. The Canadian health department has confined its warning to Brazilian Blowout, which was analyzed last fall and found to have unacceptably high levels of formaldehyde. In the United States, the FDA has received numerous complaints about salon prod- ucts containing formaldehyde and is currently working with state and local organizations, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration, to reassess the products’ safety. But not every state is waiting for the FDA’s recommendations. In recent months, Connecticut, Washington and California have issued health alerts warning salon workers about the potential risks of these hair-straightening products. What’s troubling, say salon owners, is that it’s not always clear what ingredients are in hair-smoothing products. Information is rarely on the bottles — in fact, it often appears only on Material Safety Data Sheets, which are mandated by OSHA. Bottles of Brazilian Blowout solution, for exam- Products used for keratin ple, do not list ingredients at smoothing hair treatments at Numi & Co. all. Brazilian Blowout is among the products that have received the most scrutiny in the U.S. Last fall, after complaints from a Portland salon, Oregon OSHA conducted its own tests and found that many products, including Brazilian Blowout, contained significant levels of formaldehyde. The company has since filed a lawsuit against Oregon OSHA, alleging improper testing of the product and inaccurate laboratory results. Safe styling For women like Rachael Lynch of Armonk, a Brazilian Blowout devotee who’s had the treatment twice at Numi & Company salon in Scarsdale — and suffered no ill effects either time — it’s all a bit confusing. She loves the way her hair looks, she adores the salon, but she’s not crazy about using something that might contain formaldehyde. Chemist Schoon’s recommendations for safe use of hair-smoothing products include proper ventilation in salons to minimize exposure. A well-ventilated salon performing two or three treatments a day is not likely to exceed federal OSHA’s safe levels for formaldehyde gas, he says. But at the Mark Garrison salon in Manhattan, where they offer Brazilian treatments made by Lasio and Marcia Teixeira, they’re taking no chances: Treatments are done in a specially ventilated room, and both clients and stylists are outfitted with professional-grade respirators. Gabriel Abrams, co-owner of Numi, doesn’t use a mask or respirator. But he has no worries about any of the keratin treatments, and stands behind the safety of Brazilian Blowout. He’s done close to 1,000 keratin treatments since last March — using products made by Peter Coppola and Brazilian Blowout — and says there are no noxious fumes when done properly. “I’m a very green guy, and it’s important,’’ says Abrams. “But I’ll tell you this: Customers love it and they won’t stop. If you think about it, we go tanning, we color our hair, we talk on the phone. The bigger stuff could be killing us.” Potential health concerns, however, prompted Aveda — the hair-industry giant known for its environmentally friendly products — to send a letter to its concept salons, suggesting they look into the safety of keratin treatments, says Patricia Carano, co-owner of Just Imagine U in Croton-on-Hudson, who received such a letter last fall. At the time, the salon was offering the Rejuvenol formaldehyde-free Brazilian keratin treatment, and Carano was already uneasy about the flat-ironing part of the process, which requires multiple pressings of the solutionsoaked hair at very high temperatures. “You are literally cooking it,’’ says Carano. “So not only am I leery of the product, it’s the procedure I’m leery of.” Carano knew it was time to stop offering the treatment during one of the company’s training sessions, which included in its class a pregnant stylist. “You’re not going to be giving these treatments, are you?” the instructor asked the mother-to-be. At Changing Heads hair salon in Tappan, artistic director Bob Press offers the Peter Coppola keratin treatment — which does have an “aldehyde” in it, he says — but has steered clear of what he calls the “Brazilian keratins.” While Brazilian Blowout is among the most popular of the express treatments, there are numerous other products used by local salons, including La-Brasiliana. Most claim to be formaldehyde-free. At training sessions, however, Press found the fumes overpowering. “If I have to wear a mask and risk my health just to make a few bucks, I mean to me that’s getting desperate,” says Press. “What’s the message you’re sending to your client if you’re coming out with a filtration mask and they have to wear one too?” Although the Coppola treatment is generally regarded as less odorous than Brazilian Blowout, the fact that it contains aldehydes was made clear to Michelle Cirillo, owner of Vision of Tomorrow in Larchmont, when she asked the company for its ingredient list. “The way it was explained to me is that it’s a very small percentage of aldehyde, similar to what’s in nail polish or cleaning solution, not a dangerous amount,’’ she says. “That’s what allows the product to adhere to the hair but not actually penetrate the cuticle.” Cirillo, who considered using Brazilian Blowout, decided not to offer the product due to concerns about its formaldehyde content. The Coppola treatment, she says, has been extremely popular at her salon, with most women coming back for more. But while many are thrilled with keratin treatments, Newburger was not. She had it done a year and a half ago, and watched in horror as her hair broke off over subsequent months. Newburger, who has long, color-treated hair, is a daily swimmer who was looking for a way to beat frizz during the summer months. After the keratin treatment, she says, her hair became limp, dull and fragile, and she had to keep cutting it until it finally grew out. She says keratin treatments contain an ingredient similar to that used in permanent wave solution, which chemically weakened her hair. “It wasn’t that I had a toxic reaction; I had an unpleasant Get the facts first Thinking about a keratin treatment? Keep these tips in mind: 1. Book an appointment for a consultation before getting any sort of keratin treatment. 2. Ask the salon for the name of the product being used, and demand to see the bottle and the MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet), which lists ingredients and potential side effects. If the salon does not have the MSDS, call the manufacturer. 3. Be aware that even if a product claims to be formaldehyde-free, it likely contains ingredients that create formaldehyde gas when heated. 4. Be honest with your stylist. Certain treatments work well with recently colored hair. Others require a waiting period before application of keratin treatments. 5. Ask about the training your stylist has received. Proper application is a meticulous process that involves using a flat iron multiple times on very narrow strands of hair. Using the wrong amount of product, or flat-ironing in clumps, can lead to a bad result, says Matthew Yasgur of Static hair salon in White Plains. 6. Don’t shop around by price. If a salon charges $99, they’re probably doing numerous treatments every day and may not be spending enough time on each one, says Gabriel Abrams of Numi. 7. Keratin treatments should not be done on women who are pregnant or nursing, says Scarsdale dermatologist Dr. Amy Newburger. 8. Call the FDA if you have a bad reaction to a keratin treatment, says Newburger. The New York FDA complaint number is 866-446-9055. reaction,’’ she says. Stylists agree that proper training and technique are essential when it comes to hairsmoothing treatments. “It isn’t just a formulation, it’s the way it’s put on, how much is put on, how long it’s left on and how it’s processed that will make a difference,” says Matthew Yasgur, a founder of Static hair salon in White Plains. If the product is not applied properly, or flat-ironed correctly, problems can occur. Abrams, of Numi, also warns that hair-smoothing treatments aren’t for everyone. “I have plenty of clients who beg me to do it, and I say absolutely not. It may make their hair flat,” he says, noting that a pre-treatment consultation is essential. At Static, where they offer the Coppola keratin treatment, nobody is going to be getting Brazilian Blowouts: The salon did them for just a few days in October. “Immediately, staff responded to the product in a negative way. Their noses were running, their eyes were tearing and we had to use a small fan to keep the smell of it away,” says Yasgur. “Already the hair on the back of our necks was standing up. If it doesn’t smell right and it doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not right.” Clients, he adds, were also uncomfortable. “People who got the Brazilian were definitely holding towels over their eyes saying, ‘Oh, this burns.’ That’s not a good sign.” It’s unfortunate, says Yasgur, who refers to the Brazilian Blowout as the “Bentley” of hair-smoothing procedures. “I have never seen more beautiful hair than when we did those treatments,” he says. Yet despite his concerns, Yasgur is not one for preaching. “I would not stand on a pulpit and tell the world you should never do it. You should do it if you feel it’s right for you in an environment in which you feel it’s safe,’’ he says. “But it wouldn’t be here, because I can’t create that safe environment.” The problem with treatments that may contain excessive levels of formaldehyde is that the FDA cannot act until there are complaints, says Newburger. “All of the ingredients that are in these are generally regarded as safe, and if the company says it’s low formaldehyde, unless there’s a problem that comes to the FDA’s attention, they can market it,’’ she says. “It’s not like a drug that has to be pre-approved.” While Newburger believes it should be safe for women to have their hair done every four to six months if a product’s formaldehyde content is truly under .2 percent, there is greater potential risk to stylists. And if any solutions are found to have high levels of formaldehyde, they should absolutely be banned, Newburger says. Hair color and cosmetic colors are batchtested by the FDA, she adds — it should be the same for hair-smoothing treatments. Despite a lack of consistent regulation, the beauty industry is thriving. And as women clamor for more services under one roof, salons have branched out, offering everything from facials to massages (see story on page 5B). Hair-smoothing treatments, says Abrams, are the biggest thing to hit the salon industry in years — which means it’s likely more companies are going to jump on the bandwagon, offering an even greater assortment of products. Keratin treatments, in some form or other, are likely here to stay as long as sleek hair remains a beauty ideal. “I call it the Botox of our industry,’’ says Yasgur. “Once you have it, you can’t live without it.” (#70645) Reprinted from the January 16, 2011 issue of The Journal News. © 2011 Gannett Co., Inc. For more information about reprints from The Journal News, contact PARS International Corp. at 212-221-9595.