Scientists are talking about it; angry people are talking about it. The United States Food and Drug Administration is the government regulator of things like vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs, but when it comes to cosmetics (the topical stuff you put on your body like lotions, deodorant, and make-up) there seems to be a disconnect. The FDA only regulates the labeling of cosmetics, but the public safety of the chemicals in those products is assessed by the  ”Cosmetic Ingredient Review” — which is funded by the industry. Go figure.

The graphic outlines various studies that have cropped up over time regarding potential connections between hazardous chemicals and contamination of Americans, whose cosmetic regulatory polices lag far behind places like Europe and Canada. Take a look at some of the stuff that’s hiding in your daily routine — you might never shampoo your hair ever again.

In fact, history is riddled with a yearbook of ridiculous looks, such as the following.

The Perm
We all know the ’80s had a reputation for big hair, and the trend reluctantly stayed around through the ‘90s. With frizzy layers and just plain bad curls that didn’t go away until the perm grew out, it’s safe to say the overdone perm of the ’90s was one of the worst trends in hair. Even glamorous stars such as Mariah Carey couldn’t escape the perm. Thankfully, this particular hairstyle doesn’t seem to be making a comeback anytime soon.

Too Much Volume
Usually, when it comes to hair, volume is a good thing – nobody wants to be seen sporting a limp, stringy mess on top of their head. However, there is such a thing as too much volume. Throughout the early ‘90s, a volume overload seemed to be the mainstay, especially for women. Yet, when you need at least a full bottle of hairspray to get your hair to look like you just stuck your finger in an electrical outlet, you know something has to be a little off.

Hair Extensions
When used in moderation, hair extensions can be a somewhat simple way to get longer hair without waiting months for it to grow. However, over the past two decades hair extensions have been overused. First, it can be extremely difficult to have hair extensions that actually look real and blend well with your natural hair. Second, an alarming trend concerning hair extensions has been to let them fall past your waist. Even Britney Spears is guilty of this one. Sadly, when your hair gets that long, it tends to look a bit mangled, or even like a wig, and not even hair extensions can save it. In short, be happy with the hair you’ve got. And really, it doesn’t take that long to grow.

The Mohawk
The mohawk, which has been around since the glory days of punk rock and has stuck around throughout the first decade of the 21st century, is not a hair trend worth repeating. With a resurgence of the mohawk in the mid-2000’s, both men and women were sporting the ‘do. The mohawk certainly takes a lot of courage to pull off, but it really doesn’t do anything good for your hair, your face or your style. Plus, who wants to deal with styling this look every morning?

Spiked Hair
Although there may be some women out there who have had spiked hair in the past, this bad hair trend generally applies to males. Not only does spiked hair look anything but natural, it tends to include copious amounts of gel, leaving it resembling a cactus. Men: if you want to impress the ladies, let your hairstylist work his or her magic and accept your hair for its natural texture. There is no need to laden it with gel and pomade so that it sticks straight up – it’s just not flattering.

7:30 a.m. Krystal arrives at work helps get ready for the day.  She does not have any administrative responsibilities, so she is primarily focused on making sure that they are ready for their appointments.  The salon is cleaned thoroughly at the end of the night, but Krystal helps with work that was neglected the previous night.  Mornings are typically not very busy, so Krystal has time to finish these tasks even if she isn’t able to complete them before the salon opens.

8:00 a.m. The salon opens and Krystal has her first appointment for the day.  A young mother asks Krystal to give a trim to her six-year old son.  Krystal generally finds children to be uncooperative when it comes to getting their hair cut, but the boy sits down and does not complain.  On the other hand, the mother continually objects to having his hair too thick on one side.  Krystal addresses her requests as best as possible.  She has to try to use different sized clippers and add final touches with her scissors to provide such specificity.  Afterwards, the customer pays for the service and gives Krystal a small tip, complaining that she didn’t receive the exact service she was hoping for.

9:30 a.m. Krystal has her second appointment for the morning.  One of Krystal’s regular customers comes in requesting to have her hair bleached.  This process takes a little longer than the previous appointment, because it is relatively more complex.  Krystal has to wear goggles to avoid damaging her eyes.  She creates a mixture with bleach and a developer.  After parting the clients hair and applying it to her head, she puts a clear plastic bag over her to make sure that the color sets in properly.  After applying the mixture she has it sit for about an hour, at which time she washes it with a PH neutralizing shampoo and dries it with a towel.  She applies a protein treatment and tells the customer to schedule another appointment within 24 to 48 hours.

12:00 p.m. The afternoon rush begins and Krystal has back-to-back appointments.  She has to contend with a variety of customers who insist on styles she feels are not appropriate.  She does her best to give them what they are looking for if they do not want to take her advice.  Some customers are openly hostile to her if she suggests something else or doesn’t give them the exact service they were looking for.  She has to provide a number of services that include cutting, combing, attaching wigs and scalp treatments.  In between appointments, she has to clean and prepare her station for her next customer.

3:00 p.m. Krystal finishes her shift and helps clean up at the end of the night.  She needs to make sure that all electrical appliances are properly secured and the station is generally sanitized.  She also makes sure that the receptionist has recorded all of her appointments.  Her salon pools tips that are divided evenly between all stylists at the end of the shift.

Some of her colleague have more general focuses or specialties and are also involved in helping customers with their nails and applying facial creams.  Krystal’s enjoys helping customers with their hair and her sole responsibility is to do her best to give her customers what they are asking for.