$35,000 Aqua Net Hair Spray

Aqua Net hairspray – buyer beware.

Here is an actually dangerous product in my opinion.   I speak from personal experience.

Using Aqua Net resulted in hospitalization and a health care bill of $35,000, caused by Cyclohexylamine poisoning, if available evidence is anything to go by.   Here are the facts – you decide for yourself.

For a number of years, I used Aqua Net Professional Hair Spray, Unscented Super Hold and Extra Super Hold. I chose Aqua Net because it was unscented.  And while Aqua Net works great at holding hair in place, and is unscented, there were seemingly severe repercussions from using this product.

In the first year of using Aqua Net, while vigorously playing table tennis, I suddenly developed hives and extreme itchiness.   Shortly thereafter I had to lay down to avoid passing out, and then passed out anyway for a few moments.   After a few minutes I felt better and was able to stand again.

While I didn’t realize the cause at the time, what happened was that the extreme motion and sweating from the exercise broke the hairspray hold, resulting in my hair falling in front of my eyes.   Repeatedly brushing my hair back with my sweaty hands transferred the hairspray to my skin.   At least one of the Aqua Net hairspray ingredients was absorbed through my skin.  Following this I had the hives, the itching – and my heart went into Atrial Fibrillation.   The Atrial Fibrillation resulted in very low blood pressure, feeling faint and eventually passing out.

Luckily, my heart rhythm reset by itself within minutes.   Not knowing the cause and not knowing that my heart was affected, I shrugged off the incident as maybe just an allergic reaction to something, maybe a new laundry detergent.

Over the next many years, the hives and itchiness returned every few months at times when I exercised hard and built up a sweat.   I was not able to pinpoint the cause, but badgered my wife into switching laundry detergent several times.

In 2008 I again developed a strong case of hives and severe itching while exercising on a treadmill.   Shortly after that, I felt faint, had to lay down, and eventually passed out, again for a few minutes.   This time though, the faintness persisted and I was unable to raise my head off the floor without beginning to black out.

A doctor determined that my pulse was faint and irregular and thought I might have Atrial Fibrillation.  I was taken to the hospital, where it was confirmed that I had Atrial Fibrillation.  Intensive care, many test and cardiac catheterization followed.  No heart disease or apparent cause of the Atrial Fibrillation was found.   Renal insufficiency (kidney problem) showed up in blood analysis, but no other issues.   After about 24 hours, my heart reset to normal rhythm by itself.   Diagnosis – Lone Atrial Fibrillation – meaning it was unexplained and apparently a one-time occurrence.

My suspicion turned to my Aqua Net hairspray while in the hospital and I resolved to not use it again.

I wore a heart monitor for a month, 24-7.   Despite exercise, sweating and normal activities, there was not the slightest heart problem or sign of arrhythmia or  fibrillation.  Nor hives or itching.   No kidney insufficiencies.  And no Aqua Net hairspray.

It has now been almost 3 years since I was hospitalized and stopped using Aqua Net hairspray, and there have been no signs of heart problems, no hives or itchiness, no feeling faint.   I can and do exercise and sweat heavily without any problems developing, and my wife has not heard a word in this time about switching laundry detergents.

Aqua Net & Cyclohexylamine

So what caused the hives and the Atrial Fibrillation?   Prime suspect number 1: Cyclohexylamine.   It is one of the ingredients in the Aqua Net hairspray I used.   Here is what you should know about it.

• It is listed as an extremely hazardous substance.
• Cyclohexylamine can affect you when inhaled and by passing through the skin.
• Exposure can cause headache, dizziness, light-headedness, and passing out.
• With repeated exposure the substance may have effects on the skin resulting in chronic disease (scleroderma). The substance may have effects on the blood, cardiovascular system, kidneys and liver, resulting in anaemia, cardiac disorders, kidney impairment and liver impairment.

It would seem that Cyclohexylamine – and Aqua Net hairspray – is dangerous to both your health and your finances and/or your health insure carrier.   At least that is my opinion.   One would think that a known extremely hazardous substance would be kept out of personal hygiene products.

If you or anyone you know has been diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation and has been using Aqua Net hairspray, I would be interested in hearing about it.

For more information on Atrial Fibrillation, see also the blog at http://atrialfibrillationblog.com/

by Philip Jepsen