Blow-drying, straightening, or curling your hair in the morning might seem harmless—but it could be filling your lungs with as much pollution as standing on a busy highway, scientists warn.

A research team led by professor Nusrat Jung and Ph.D. student Jianghui Liu of Purdue University, Indiana, found that a 10–20-minute heat-based hair routine can release more than 10 billion tiny particles into the air—which may then be inhaled into the lungs.

These can cause health problems like breathing difficulties, lung inflammation and even cognitive decline.

"This is really quite concerning," Jung said in a statement. "The number of nanoparticles inhaled from using typical, store-bought hair-care products was far greater than we ever anticipated."

What Counts as a "Typical" Hair Routine?

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