Posts with tag hairspray

Jada Pinkett Smith
Please tell us this mullet chop job is for a movie. When Jada's hair is slightly grown out, shiny and sleek, its easy to see why she and her hunky hubby are considered one of Hollywood's most stylish couples.

Steve Granitz, WireImage.com

At her best, Katherine Heigl successfully channels Veronica Lake. But with too much product, her locks are dingy: No self-respecting bridesmaid would ever leave the house with hair that looks like it was inspired by "There's Something About Mary".

Alexandra Wyman, WireImage.com

Christina Aguilera
Only Bo Derek could be a perfect "10" in cornrows. Her new mommy makeover included trading her Dirrty 'do for Marilyn Monroe-inspired platinum blonde waves

WireImage.com

Victoria Beckham
Posh pioneered the blunt bob trend -- and it suits her no-nonsense fashion style perfectly. In this uptight up-do (r.), she looks like she's taking her reputation as an ice queen a little too seriously

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

Paris Hilton
Despite her privileged background, Paris has a hard time pulling off the sophisticated debutante look. A flirty asymmetrical bob works better for L.A.'s biggest party girl

Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com

Katie Holmes
Katie's tousled tresses make her look like she's playing dress-up. Her Posh-inspired bob and bangs are picture perfect Hollywood Wife.

Kevin Mazur, WireImage.com

Mary-Kate Olsen
She's known for her eccentric style, but Mary Kate's Marc Jacobs' headband is less modern fashion icon, more Jane Fonda (circa 1982).
Tousled blonde tresses are better on a 22-year-old, no matter how many millions she's got

Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage.com

Fergie
Hey, Fergie -- Bret Michaels wants his look back. The star is far more Glamorous when she wears her honey hair wavy and free.

Jeffrey Mayer, WireImage.com

Scarlett Johansson
Scarlett's super-poufy beehive doesn't create much buzz. A more natural style (l.) suits the pretty young star.

Alicia Keys
Hey Alicia -- No One should be using the "Coneheads" for fashion inspiration! Keys' classic beauty shines in her natural curls.

Scott Wintrow, Getty Images

Bad news for stylists, hair dressers, and any woman who's a fan of big 'ol Texas hair. A new study has found a disturbing link between your hairspray habit and an alarming birth defect. Researchers claim that boys whose mothers were around large amounts of hairspray may run the risk of being born with a genital disorder.

SXC

Scientists at the Imperial College London surveyed women who had boys born with a condition called hypospadias -- essentially, a deformity that causes the baby's urinary tract to grow where it shouldn't. According to those scientists, hairspray more than doubled the chance that the women's children would be born with this defect.

SXC

That said, it's not all bad news. The professor who led the study told the BBC that this new research didn't not prove conclusively that hairspray was to blame.

He went so far as to say: "Pregnant women will need to make their own choices about whether or not to avoid these kind of exposures."

But that doesn't mean dousing your head in hairspray is a good idea.

SXC

The number of hypospadias cases has gone up dramatically over the past twenty years, and many have been blaming a chemical called phthalates. As you might suspect, this chmeical is found in plastics -- namely the plasitcs used in hairspray.

Evidence is mounting, and certain types of phthalates have already been banned from hairsprays and other cosmetics.

SXC

You might recognize phthalates -- they've been in the news quite a bit recently, but mostly due to their ability to disrupt hormones. These revelations have led the European Union to ban the substance for toys (for quite some time).

SXC

However, before you completely freak out, while research has shown phthalates could mess with the production of testosterone in some animals (and could therefore effect the development of the urinary tract), studies in humans remain unclear.

So, while avoiding chemicals in hairspray and other cosmetics is a good idea -- particularly when you're pregnant -- you probably won't see any official word on this for a some time.

SXC