In late December 2023, Brazil’s National Health Surveillance Agency (ANVISA) suspended the commercialization of approximately 1200 hair creams because of reports of eye irritation and temporary blindness.
A similar measure encompassing all hair creams sold in the country had already been announced by the agency in March. However, after a few weeks, ANVISA issued a resolution with rules for the products’ commercialization, allowing them back on the shelves.
With the new resolution, the sale of products that do not comply with the standards has once again been suspended. The reason is that reports of adverse events have reemerged. These events include temporary vision loss, headaches, and burning, tearing, itching, redness, and swelling of the eyes. According to reports, these adverse effects occurred mainly in people who used the specific products before swimming in the sea or in pools, or even going out in the rain.
The banned products contain 20% or more ethoxylated alcohols in their formulations. , potentially causing allergies and burns to the eyes and skin. They also have a high pulmonary and neurological toxicity. All these substances are eye irritants and can cause chemical keratitis. In extreme cases, corneal ulcers may develop, leading to vision loss.
The Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology also issued a warning on these products. It emphasized that, in addition to the sales prohibition, consumers should check the labels of hair creams to make sure that these toxic substances are not present in the product formulation.
The ANVISA website contains a list of creams that are considered safe and have not had their commercialization suspended, along with links to adverse event notifications reported by healthcare professionals or consumers.
For consumers who have recently used hair creams, the agency advises careful hair washing, including tilting the head backward to prevent the product from coming into contact with the eye area. If there is accidental eye contact, the eyes should be washed with plenty of water.
If there are any undesired effects after using these products, users should immediately seek the nearest healthcare service. Treatment should be individualized, possibly including ocular occlusion and the use of eye drops containing antibiotics or corticosteroids, among other medications.
Not every patient has easy access to an ophthalmologist in an emergency, so it is crucial for general practitioners to be prepared for initial care. In this regard, one of the most important measures is eye washing with copious amounts of clean water or saline solution for 5-10 minutes.
Eye itching is a frequent manifestation of using hair creams, and scratching the area may worsen the condition. Ocular occlusion can protect the cornea until an evaluation can be performed by a specialist.
Although we prefer our patients to stay away from these creams, it is also important to disseminate this information and advise them to read labels and use safe cosmetics.
This article was translated from the Medscape Portuguese edition. A version of this article appeared on Medscape.com.