Hair spray poisoning

Hair spray poisoning occurs when someone breathes in (inhales) hair spray or sprays it down their throat or into their eyes.

This article is for information only. Do not use it to treat or manage an actual poison exposure. If you or someone you are with has an exposure, call the local emergency number (such as 911), or the local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States.

Poisonous Ingredient

The harmful ingredients in hair spray are:

Carboxymethylcellulose
Denatured alcohol
Hydrofluorocarbon
Polyvinyl alcohol
Propylene glycol
Polyvinylpyrrolidone

Where Found

Various hair sprays contain these ingredients.

Symptoms

Symptoms of hair spray poisoning include:

Abdominal pain
Blurred vision
Breathing difficulty
Burning pain in the throat
Burns to the eye, redness, tearing
Collapse
Coma (decreased level of consciousness and lack of responsiveness)
Diarrhea (watery, bloody)
Low blood pressure
Inability to walk normally
No urine output
Rash
Slurred speech
Stupor (decreased level of consciousness)
Vomiting

Home Care

Seek medical help right away.

Move the person to fresh air right away.

Before Calling Emergency

Have this information ready:

Person's age, weight, and condition
Name of the product (ingredients, if known)
Time it was inhaled
Amount swallowed

Poison Control

The local poison control center can be reached directly by calling the national toll-free Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

You can also get online poison help now at Poisonhelp.org. Just enter the product, poison, or medicine to get expert help.

What to Expect at the Emergency Room

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

Your health care provider will measure and monitor your vital signs, including temperature, pulse, breathing rate, and blood pressure. Symptoms will be treated.

Tests that may be done include:

Treatment may include:

Breathing support, including tube through the mouth into the lungs and connected to a breathing machine (ventilator)
Fluids through a vein (by IV)
Medicine to treat an allergic reaction and other symptoms
Surgery to remove burned skin (debridement)
Washing of the skin (irrigation)

Outlook (Prognosis)

Hair spray is not very toxic. Most hair spray poisonings are not serious.

How well someone does depends on how severe the poisoning is and how quickly they receive treatment. The faster medical help is given, the better the chance for recovery.

References

Meehan TJ. Care of the poisoned patient. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 135.

Nelson LS, Calello DP. Acute poisoning. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 96.

Theobald JL, Corcoran JN. Poisoning. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 94.

Wang GS, Buchanan JA. Hydrocarbons. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 147.

Review Date 10/14/2025

Updated by: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.