Why I'm Hopelessly in Love With the Toxic Brazilian Blowout

Jessica Berger Gross knows it's toxic. But...
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Dec 9, 2010 10:31 AM CST
Updated Dec 12, 2010 9:50 AM CST
Why I'm Hopelessly in Love With the Toxic Brazilian Blowout
Perfect hair ... at a price.   (?dearbarbie)

Jessica Berger Gross knows that her behavior is more than a little hypocritical. The yoga-column author/organic makeup wearer/vegetable grower loves the Brazilian Blowout. The hair conditioning and straightening process achieves its dreamy results by way of high levels of formaldehyde—"a carcinogen and, yes, the stuff they use on dead bodies," notes Berger Gross on Salon. "I know, I know: I'm supposed to embrace my natural hair," she writes, but "my infrequent at-home diffuser or blow dry attempts were time-consuming failures. I wore a lot of hats" ... until her hairstylist told her she was the perfect candidate for the Brazilian Blowout.

So she had the smelly, eye-stinging formula painstakingly applied and then ... "I know I may sound like an infomercial, but my hair looked amazing every single day with almost no effort." She felt hot. But then came the safety warnings, and the news her stylist wouldn't be doing BB anymore. "My reaction? A furious scramble to find someplace—anyplace—that would still give me the treatment. Driving across the border to Seattle didn't really seem out of the question." But eventually, sanity ruled the day. "My small little indulgence just became too costly. I can't stop thinking of the countless women who've lost their lives to cancer. Sure, I love looking good. I love my family, and our life together, immeasurably more." Click to read the entire piece.
(More Brazilian blowout stories.)

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