Talk about unsolicited advice! And, pregnant women get it in plenty. From grandmothers to newbie moms, everyone has something to offer you. They tell you what to eat, what to avoid, what to do and what not to do, how to sleep and how not to sleep. A little advice will not harm you if it works to your benefit. But sometimes it could get overwhelming.

But one advice you must heed to is the use of hairspray during pregnancy. Using Hair spray during pregnancy can have some serious consequences, and we will tell you how.

Hair sprays during pregnancy are associated with birth defects in boys. A recent study (1) published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health in 2016 indicated that using Hair Sprays during pregnancy is associated with hypospadias, a birth defect that occurs in boys. Hypospadias is a condition in boys wherein the urethra (urinary opening) is moved below the penis instead of the tip of the penis, which results in a curved penis.

Hypospadias supposedly affects one in every 250 boys in the UK and five in every 1,000 boys in the US. The chemicals present in the spray disrupt the endocrine functionality, and this affects the fetal development. Though researchers claim that there is no enough data to prove it.

Another study (2) done in the UK, showed a similar result. Women who used hairspray or were exposed to hairspray chemicals during pregnancy had boys with hypospadias.

The researchers established a link between hair sprays and hypospadias after interviewing 471 women who were referred to pediatric surgeons for hypospadias. The interview questions were about health, occupation, diet, lifestyle, exposure to chemicals, and use of folate supplements of expecting moms.

It was seen that when the pregnant women were exposed to hair sprays during the first trimester, the chances of having a child with hypospadias doubled and tripled.

The hairspray chemicals called phthalates disrupts hormones, affects the reproductive development, and that explains the relation between the two. Thankfully the same study also showed that consuming folic acid reduces the risk of giving birth to a child with this medical condition by 36 percent.

However, the condition can be corrected through a surgical procedure after seven months, and the boys mostly lead healthy lives after surgery.

Professor Paul Elliott, the research lead, says that hypospadias is a condition that, if left untreated, can cause problems in later life. He believes that though surgery to correct it is usually successful, any surgery could be traumatic for the child and his parents.

There is an increased risk in women who work as hair dressers, beauticians, and chemists who are exposed to hairspray chemicals as part of their job. However, the researchers said in conclusion that more research has to be done on a significant sample group to link the association between hair sprays and hypospadias.

My two cents: beauty is desirable, but not at the cost of putting your baby at a health risk. It’s wiser to stay away from those hair sprays till you have delivered your baby. For now, enjoy your pregnancy and stay healthy.

Do share if you have had any similar kind of experience with hair sprays during your pregnancy by commenting below.

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