Teen Hospitalized with Kidney Failure After Hair Straightening Treatment

A 16-year-old girl from Tel Aviv was hospitalized at Wolfson Medical Center with acute kidney failure after undergoing a hair straightening treatment at a home-based salon. The teenager, identified as Y., began experiencing general weakness, abdominal pain, and nausea shortly after the procedure.

Upon arrival at the Wolfson emergency department, she underwent a series of tests which revealed her kidney failure. Her condition is currently described as mild. This marks the first reported case in Israel of kidney failure resulting from a hair straightening treatment, according to Dr. Meital Keidar, head of pediatric nephrology at Wolfson Medical Center.

Dr. Keidar noted that while her kidney function was initially normal, it rapidly deteriorated, increasing to more than double the normal rate within hours. She emphasized the importance of undergoing such treatments only in licensed and approved establishments. Furthermore, she warned that many products previously approved by the Ministry of Health are no longer authorized but may still be found on shelves, advising the public to check the Ministry of Health's website for updated lists of approved products.