Health Ministry Warns Against "Dragonfly" Hair Straightener After Hospitalization
Translated & summarized from Ice by baba
Israel's Ministry of Health has issued an urgent warning against the "DRAGONFLY" hair straightening product after a teenager was hospitalized with kidney damage. The product's license was previously canceled, and it falsely claims to be ministry-approved. This incident follows other hospitalizations linked to glyoxylic acid, leading to a ban on such products starting February 2026. The ministry advises using only licensed salons and approved products.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Health Ministry urgently warns against "DRAGONFLY" hair straightener after hospitalization.
- Teenager hospitalized with kidney damage after using the "DRAGONFLY" product.
- Product falsely claims "licensed by the Ministry of Health" but its license was canceled.
- Expert committee found a link between glyoxylic acid and acute kidney damage.
- Products with glyoxylic acid will be banned in Israel from February 2026.
- Ministry advises using only licensed salons and checking official product databases.
Israel's Ministry of Health issued an urgent warning today, calling for the immediate cessation of all use, marketing, and distribution of the "DRAGONFLY" hair straightening product. The directive follows a severe report of a teenage girl hospitalized with kidney damage after undergoing a hair straightening treatment at a home salon using this product.
An in-depth ministry investigation revealed that the product's label falsely claims it is "licensed by the Ministry of Health." In reality, the cosmetic license for this product was previously canceled at the manufacturer's own request and it is no longer listed in Israel's approved cosmetics database. The ministry has attempted to contact the manufacturer for comment but has received no response.
This incident is part of a recent trend of concerning reports. Over the past two months, the ministry has received several reports of patients requiring hospitalization following hair straightening treatments. A professional expert committee determined a clear causal link between the use of products containing glyoxylic acid and the development of acute kidney damage.
Consequently, the Ministry of Health has canceled the licenses of all cosmetics containing glyoxylic acid, with their marketing, sale, and use banned in Israel starting February 2026. This is in addition to the existing ban on formaldehyde, a known carcinogen.
The ministry emphasized that adding prohibited substances, diluting products, or altering their composition after manufacturing constitutes a serious health hazard and a criminal offense, invalidating safety assessments and exposing users to unknown toxic concentrations. They recommend performing straightening treatments only in licensed salons, verifying the product is in the official ministry database, and avoiding reliance solely on packaging labels.
Further precautions include not applying the product to damaged or irritated scalps, maintaining a 1.5 cm distance from the scalp, ensuring good ventilation, and avoiding treatments for children and individuals under 16. The public is urged to seek immediate medical attention if unusual symptoms arise after treatment, such as significantly reduced or absent urination, swelling, nausea, vomiting, abdominal or back pain, extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, or confusion, and to provide medical staff with details of the product used. The ministry is continuing its investigation and will provide updates as developments occur.
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