Braids Care: Synthetic Hair, Real Talk

Synthetic braiding hair has been at the center of a lot of headlines this year, and many of them have sparked more fear than facts. This episode cuts through the noise and explains what synthetic hair is actually made of, what recent testing really found and what matters most for real-life wearers and stylists.

Polymer chemist and inventor Ashley Davis joins to share what she’s learned from developing and testing braiding hair. We get into how to spot better quality hair, simple prep steps that make installs more comfortable and the kind of practical science that brings real peace of mind.

 

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🤿 Dive into the science:

• Wong M. Is synthetic braiding hair giving people cancer? Breaking down Consumer Reports’ tests. Lab Muffin Beauty Science. March 27, 2025. Accessed November 1, 2025. https://labmuffin.com/is-synthetic-braiding-hair-giving-people-cancer-breaking-down-consumer-reports-tests/
• Auguste, D., & Miller, S. L. (2020). Volatile Organic Compound Emissions From Heated Synthetic Hair: A Pilot Study. Environmental Health Insights. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6990612/
•  Dangerous chemicals in braiding hair?. BeautySciComm. April 13, 2025. Accessed November 15, 2025. https://beautyscicomm.com/dangerous-chemicals-in-braiding-hair/