Your hair is full of germs; your hairspray is full of germs. Deal with it.

by JGordon on Mar. 09th, 2008
in Diversity of Organisms

comments

Blissfully ignorant of the chaotic zoo that her head has become: A hairspray user smiles for the camera.
Courtesy StarMamaThanks to the hard work of diligent microbiologists, human beings now have something new to think about.

This would be frustrating for me, because I already spend so much time thinking about America’s Funniest Home Videos, the Hantavirus, water shoes, and body odor, except that this new discovery, for the most part, only applies to people who use hairspray. I don’t even use a comb, so I think I’m in the clear.

Anyway, the new thing you should be thinking, nay, worrying about, is this: Microbacterium hatanonis. It’s a brand new bacteria that lives in your hairspray. Surprise!

Contamination of cosmetic products is rare, but, obviously, not unheard of. And while you may not have realized that you have been spraying your head with Microbacterium hatanonis, you’ve probably had intimate contact with some of its Microbacterium relatives, which are known to live out their greasy little lives “in milk, cheese, beef, eggs…on catheters, and in bone marrow…and even in the blood of patients with leukemia.” And in your hair, of course.

While similar Microbacterium have been found to infect humans, whether or not M. hatanonis is likely to cause any trouble for people remains to be seen. If you have any hope of getting a serious worry on, though, I think it’s pretty safe to assume that it will be found to infect humans. And its effects? I’m sure they’ll include a whole variety of weeping sores, burning sensations, and sour odors. If you don’t like that, I’m sorry—I don’t make the symptoms, I just imagine them. In the mean time, I strongly recommend careful microscopic inspection of all hairspray before applying it to your head, or wherever else you might use it.

Your Comments, Thoughts, Questions, Ideas

just a dudette says:

ew! thats gross!

posted on Tue, 03/11/2008 - 1:11pm

Me llamo Gabe says:

yeah,that's super gross! :D

posted on Tue, 03/25/2008 - 11:53am

Candice_318 says:

Okay I just start using hairspray so now i think i should stop. But really if we already have bacteria in our hair why stop now.... It's not like the bacteria is just going to go away.
And yes i know it's a ignorant comment but really. I know many people who are not going to stop using the hairspray.

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posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 9:51am

koallainfestation37 says:

no way
bactira in hair prodicts?!?!
and every where else in the world
if you didnt know that
then im sorry but youre dumb

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 9:52am

shanee says:

Bacteria is so understandable...because we wouldnt be human if bacteria didnt exsist. So im not surprised at all to hear that we have bacteria in our hairspray. I mean for god sakes we have bacteria in our food! Think about it people..

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 9:55am

LEE says:

The title "your hair is full of germs; your hairspray is full of germs. Deal with it", it should say "your hair is full of germs; your hairspray is full of germs. It's double the fun with the germs". I'm just kidding. But that would've been funny. Anyways in all the hairsprays that companies make all of them contains microbacterium hatanonis? How do we know that they contain that bacteria? Does it say in the ingredients 'mictrobacterium hatanonis'? I don't really use hairspray (only about 5 to 10 times a year), but when i do i'm gonna wash my hair EXTRA EXTRA good. i think that i'll inspect all the hairsprays that i have at home. But "microscopic inspection all hairspray before applying it to you head...." how do i do that? do i need a microscope to check that? or is there anyway i can check it? how do i know that the hairspray have that?

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:02am

JGordon says:

I don't think any cosmetic companies are doing extensive Hatanonis test quite yet, so don't worry about checking the labels.

While scientists aren't sure yet if m. hatanonis can infect humans, I bet you're pretty safe just forgetting about it. Germs are everywhere. I'm too lazy to search for an actual citation right now, but I'm quite sure that there are more single-celled organisms in your body right now than there are actual cells composing your body (if that makes sense).

Okay, wait, here's a citation (of sorts).

posted on Sun, 03/16/2008 - 7:30pm

nelson.robin says:

boy oh boy man that's nasty... just think about it you have germs living in your hair and you didnt even know... man this article really made me think i got scared for a sec lol

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:01am

Kunicki24 says:

okay lets just start with eww.... and is it for sure only hairspray, is there any in like gel and other stuff like that?

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:02am

twila_08 says:

This doesn't really effect me so much because I don't use hairspray. But there will always be germs in the world.

Twila Turnage

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:02am

andyshadexx says:

well i use to use hair spray, but what about other stuff?

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:06am

hmoob_muas says:

this too doesnt really effect me cause i dont have any hair to spray on...

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:06am

bert123 says:

there are germs everwhere people so get over it.
IBI Call it what you want IBI

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:07am

MrBig621188 says:

well natural as a dude with short hair i do not use hair spray but when u think about it your hair is just dead cells anyway

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:08am

Looney_Tooney says:

Forreals!!!
Dang!!!
My sisters nd em uses a lot...
Maybe I could get them to read this...

posted on Thu, 03/13/2008 - 10:12am

thuyn says:

i love hairspray the movie! but i guess this article definitely gives me something to think about....aerosole is bad for the environment too

posted on Sat, 03/15/2008 - 3:09pm

heyspeedracer says:

i have never heard of this, but it doesn't really surprise me. and if we already have the bacteria in our hair, why does it matter if it is also in our hairspray???

posted on Sun, 03/16/2008 - 3:00pm

Voice of Reason says:

You realize of course, that not all bacteria are proven harmful. In fact, many are required for human existence.

posted on Fri, 03/21/2008 - 2:04pm

Msquared! says:

that is kinda gross but i need the hairspray for my hair to stay up!

posted on Sat, 03/22/2008 - 1:36pm

Anonymous007 says:

does anyone wipe this keyboard to reduce germs???

posted on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 6:09pm

JGordon says:

I do. With my tongue.

posted on Sun, 03/23/2008 - 6:54pm

Morganic says:

I totally agree with Voice of Reason. In fact, there has recently been an uproar about unpasturized milk. However, what health officials aren't saying is that the bacteria found in organic, unpasturized milk (milk that hasn't been chemically changed or added to) isn't harmful, and much of it is very beneficial. I'm not speaking in absolutes here because I don't have all the facts, but check it out for yourself.

---The M

posted on Tue, 03/25/2008 - 9:59am

diamond2008 says:

that nasty i'm glad i don't use it.

posted on Wed, 03/26/2008 - 3:31pm

tiffany_88 says:

Well the chemicals can be produce bacterias but sometimes not affect owns body.

posted on Thu, 03/27/2008 - 10:07am

Anonymous says:

Why are these people still selling these product if is full of germ then? I don;t believe it cause they are still
using it themself .

posted on Thu, 03/27/2008 - 10:08am

Anonymous says:

Theres germs everywhere in the world!
but im just eeze dropping because im doing homework on hygiene..

posted on Sun, 10/19/2008 - 10:44am

Anonymous says:

i dont think theres germs in my hair, LIAR

posted on Sat, 11/21/2009 - 5:24pm

Anonymous says:

If there were not, then why would you wash your hair?

posted on Sun, 11/22/2009 - 2:11pm

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