The Real Safety Conversation Around Hair Extensions

Hair extensions are popular for good reason. They add length, fullness, and versatility. But like most beauty services, they come with real safety considerations.

This isn’t about fear. It’s about understanding exposure, transparency, and risk management.

Here’s a grounded, science-based look at what we actually know.

Hair extensions can offer temporary length and volume — but they aren’t the only path to fuller-looking hair.

At Ippodaro Natural Salon in San Antonio, we prioritize ingredient transparency and long-term hair health. our alternative approach focuses on cultivating strength from within. We prioritize scalp health, nutrient support, strategic cutting and color placement, and biodynamic, ingredient-conscious care — guided by full transparency about what touches your hair and skin.

Rooted in a less-is-more philosophy around chemical exposure and tension, we believe sustainable beauty isn’t about adding more. It’s about supporting what’s already yours.

Chemical Transparency: What’s in Synthetic Hair?

Many synthetic hair fibers are made from plastic polymers. Some are acrylic-based. Others are PVC-based.

PVC (polyvinyl chloride) manufacturing historically used certain plastic stabilizers, including a class of compounds called organotins.

Some synthetic hair fibers are made from PVC-based plastics. Historically, certain organotin compounds were used in PVC stabilization. While regulations have reduced their use, manufacturing transparency varies.

What Are Organotins?

Organotins are tin-based compounds used in:

• PVC stabilization

• Certain industrial catalysts

• Some manufacturing processes

They are not confirmed widespread cosmetic additives in hair extensions, but they are part of the broader plastic chemistry discussion.

A simple way to understand common butyltins:

Think of it this way: the more complex the structure, the more biologically active it tends to be.

Some organotins, especially tributyltin compounds, are recognized endocrine disruptors and are heavily restricted in the EU. Others, like dibutyltin, are monitored in environmental toxicology due to immune and endocrine effects at certain exposure levels.

The key issue in hair extensions isn’t confirmed widespread organotin use. It’s uncertainty and incomplete labeling.

What Recent Testing Found

In 2026, a non-targeted chemical analysis of 43 popular hair extension products detected over 900 chemical signatures. Of those:

• 169 were matched to reference libraries

• 48 appeared on major hazard lists

• 12 were listed under California Proposition 65

• Organotin compounds were reported in roughly 10% of samples

• Phthalates and flame retardants were also identified

Important nuance:
Non-targeted studies detect presence, not necessarily meaningful dose.

Many compounds were identified qualitatively, without full quantitative exposure data. That makes real-world risk estimation difficult.

From a toxicology standpoint, some detected chemicals have strong hazard classifications:

• Benzene: Group 1 human carcinogen

• Cadmium compounds: Group 1

• Styrene: Probably carcinogenic (Group 2A)

• Lead: Neurotoxicant with no safe blood level for children

Hazard classification does not equal exposure risk. Dose and route matter. And we don’t yet have strong absorbed-dose data for extension wear over weeks.

That’s the honest scientific position.

The Bigger, Better-Documented Salon Risks

When we zoom out, organotins are a smaller piece of the occupational puzzle.

The more established salon risks are:

• Formaldehyde exposure from smoothing treatments

• Persulfates from lighteners

• VOC inhalation

• Chronic wet work leading to dermatitis

• Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives in some keratin bonds

• Flame retardants in synthetic fibers

• Heavy metal contamination in lower-cost imports

• Plasticizers

Compared to these, organotins are part of the broader plastic chemistry conversation, not the main villain.

Adhesives and Removers: A Separate Exposure Class

Label audits of hair and wig adhesives show a recurring issue:

• Missing ingredient lists

• Vague terms like “polymers” or “hydrocarbons”

That elevates uncertainty.

Solvents, removers, and heat-bond adhesives deserve separate internal salon policies:

• No unlabeled products

• Gloves during installation

• Ventilation or air purification

• Avoid overheating bonds

• Restrict high-emission practices like open flame sealing

Transparency matters more than brand marketing.

Clients experience prolonged dermal contact.
Stylists experience repeated inhalation and dermal exposure.

Repeated handling, cutting, sealing, and heating can increase cumulative exposure for salon workers.

That’s where ventilation and policy matter most.

The Mechanical Risk: Traction Alopecia

Chemical exposure is only one side of the story.

Traction alopecia is a well-documented form of hair loss caused by prolonged tension on hair shafts.

According to guidance from the British Association of Dermatologists, early traction alopecia may improve if tension stops. But long-term repetitive traction can permanently damage follicles.

Clinical data show:

• Higher prevalence in women where high-tension grooming is common

• Increased rates with extensions attached to chemically relaxed hair

• Associations between sewn-in weaves, braided styles with artificial hair, and scarring alopecia

In later stages, biopsy may show fibrous tracts where follicles once existed. At that point, hair does not regenerate.

That’s not chemistry. That’s biomechanics.

And it’s one of the most preventable risks in extension services.

The Grounded View