Beauty queen’s hair falls out after using home straightening kit

Every girl’s worst nightmare … excitably trying something new on your hair, only for it to start falling out in clumps. This is exactly what happened to beauty queen Amanda Stewart when she tried a home straightening kit on her long blonde locks

Home straightening kit

Miss Teen Galaxy Ireland picked up the kit at a pharmacy in Florida to relieve her naturally frizzy hair. After being reassured by staff that it was OK to use on coloured hair, she later found out that the strong product was actually meant for Afro-Carribbean hair.

When she realised her hair was falling out dramatically, she started to wash out the straightening fluid and feared she would have to shave her whole head. She is now left with a short haircut and learnt a harsh lesson.

In our journey for the perfect head of hair, what happened to Amanda could happen to all of us as we sacrifice our hair health in the name of beauty.

Less is definitely more when it comes to hair, but more and more people visit a salon or try a home straightening kit to alter their natural hair. On top of this is the daily routine of blow drying and straightening or curling our hair.

Over styling or use of chemicals on our hair, can leave it looking dull, breaking and causing split ends. Worse still, it could result in hair loss.

Common causes of styling damage

Hair follicles are protected by a cuticle, but the more we do to our hair, the more likely we are to damage it. These include:

Perms – chemical curling OR chemical straightening can break the inner bonds of the hair and leave it brittle, damaged and dull.

Bleach – bleaching your hair removes its natural pigment

Colouring – While less harsh than bleach, hair dyes used frequently can strip the hair of its natural structure and condition

Extensions – Over time weaves or extensions can leave hair broken and damage the roots

Heat – using hairdryers and hair straightening irons on our hair can damage the bonds that hold the hair together

Over washing – too much shampoo can deplete the hair’s natural oils and moisture, leaving it dry

Over styling – brushing your hair too much can cause breakage and braiding and ponytails every day will leave hair snapped, and especially fragile when wet.

While research and products are improving, accidents do happen – as in the case of Amanda and it is best to act with caution when experimenting with hair products, styles or new looks.