Teen Hospitalized with Kidney Failure After Home Hair Straightening Treatment

A 16-year-old girl from Tel Aviv, identified as 'Y', was hospitalized at Wolfson Medical Center last week suffering from general weakness, abdominal pain, and nausea shortly after undergoing a hair straightening treatment at a home-based salon. Following extensive tests, she was diagnosed with kidney failure.

Dr. Mital Keidar, head of Pediatric Nephrology at Wolfson Medical Center, stated that the teenager arrived at the hospital in mild condition several hours after the procedure. Initially, her kidney function appeared normal, but within hours, there was a significant deterioration. "Although kidney functions were normal at first, in the following hours, kidney functions increased twofold from the norm, and even more," Dr. Keidar explained.

This case marks the first reported incident of its kind in Israel. Dr. Keidar emphasized the critical importance of having hair straightening treatments performed only in licensed and approved establishments, not in home salons. She also warned that regulations for hair straightening products have changed in recent years.

"It is important to know that in the last two years, many products that previously had Ministry of Health approval are no longer approved for use, but are still on the shelves," Dr. Keidar said. She advised the public to check the Ministry of Health website to verify which products are currently approved for use.