20-year-old woman colours hair every month, gets kidney disease from chemicals in dyes

He added that many dyes contain lead and mercury, which are harmful to health. (Representational image: Unsplash)

A 20-year-old woman in China developed kidney disease after dyeing her hair every month to match the changing styles of her favourite celebrity, Henan TV reported. Identified only as Hua, the woman began experiencing red spots on her legs, joint pain and stomach aches. She was diagnosed with kidney inflammation at Zhengzhou People’s Hospital.

According to her doctor by Dr Tao Chenyang, Hua visited salons monthly to change her hair colour whenever her idol did. The star’s name was not disclosed, but mainland social media users speculated about K-pop idols, who frequently change hair colour as part of their promotional branding.

Tao said hair dye contains toxic substances that can cause renal and respiratory failure, and increase the risk of cancer. He added that many dyes contain lead and mercury, which are harmful to health.

Online reactions quoted by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) criticised the obsession with celebrity trends. “No star is worth chasing at the price of our health,” one user wrote. Another added, “If she dyed her hair to copy a star, then it is probably bleach and dye, which is much more harmful than just dying her hair.”

Similar case in the US

Earlier this year, a former hairstylist in the US filed a lawsuit against beauty giant L’Oréal and 10 other companies, alleging that repeated exposure to carcinogenic chemicals in hair dyes caused his bladder cancer.

Hector Corvera, who worked as a hairdresser for decades, was diagnosed in 2023. He recalled his urologist’s reaction: “He says, what do you do for a living? And I said, ‘I’m a hairdresser.’ He said, ‘Hmm, that explains it.’”

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles by attorney Allen Smith, claims Corvera’s cancer was “a direct and proximate result of the unreasonably dangerous and defective nature” of the hair dye products. It accuses the companies of “wrongful and negligent conduct” in the research, development and packaging of their products.