IN 1938 Goodman1 reported damage to hair by a "home permanent wave." Areas of complete baldness developed in his patient, and he stated that there was no warning on the package of the possibility of any bad result. In 1941, Bunce, Parker and Lewis2 reported a death following administration of a heatless permanent wave at a beauty shop. They concluded that the clinical course shown by the patient and the pathologic changes seen at autopsy were identical with those occurring in reported cases of acute poisoning with hydrogen sulfide. They showed that the material present in the curling solution was also present in the patient's blood at the time of death. Examination of the curling solution revealed the presence of ammonium sulfide. After this report the Food and Drug Administration took immediate action, and ammonium sulfide was outlawed for use in "cold wave" solutions.
The cold wave