Wigs, Falls Or Hairpieces
Twenty years of CPSC NEISS emergency-room records for this consumer product category, combined with demographic breakdowns, multi-year injury trends, and matching recall notices.
Personal Care & Safety Products · CPSC Code 1605
Up 39% over 5 years
The verdict
Wigs, Falls Or Hairpieces carry a danger score of 32/100 (low risk), driven by roughly 521 ER-treated injuries a year that are rising by about 39% over the last five years.
- 32/100
- danger score (low risk)
- 521
- ER visits per year (avg)
- 0.9%
- end in hospital admission
- 15-24
- most-injured age group
Every figure is rendered from the CPSC NEISS record for product code 1605 - last data year 2024.
PlainSafety danger score
How this 32/100 score is built
The score is computed from four CPSC-derived factors for wigs, falls or hairpieces - no opinion, no editorializing:
- Injury volume521 ER visits/yr
- Severity (hospitalization rate)0.9%
- Fatality rate0.00%
- 5-year trend+39%
See the full methodology for the exact weighting of each factor.
What the CPSC Data Shows
Wigs, Falls Or Hairpieces (CPSC product code 1605, in the Personal Care & Safety Products category) generate an estimated 521 emergency-room visits every year in the United States, adding up to roughly 10,422 ER-treated injuries across the 20-year span from 2005 to 2024. PlainSafety derives a danger score of 32/100 for this category (low risk), combining raw injury volume, demographic reach, severity of outcome, and multi-year trend. The five-year trajectory shows that injury counts are rising by about 39% over the last five years, with the busiest year on record being 2024 (1,161 estimated ER visits) and the quietest 2005 (139 estimated visits).
The single most common ER diagnosis for wigs, falls or hairpieces is derma/conjunct to the head, accounting for approximately 1,994 visits across the 20-year NEISS window, followed by other to the head (1,397 cases). The 15-24 age group absorbs the largest share of injuries, about 2,485 cases over the NEISS window, and females appear slightly more often than the opposite sex in that cohort. Severity outcomes from the NEISS disposition field show that 0.9% of ER visits involving this product end in hospital admission or transfer.
Beyond the hospital-sampled NEISS projections, this page also aggregates 2 consumer incident reports filed directly on SaferProducts.gov, plus 20 anonymized ER narratives - together forming a layered picture of how wigs, falls or hairpieces fail in real households. Every figure on this page comes from CPSC-published data: NEISS projects national estimates from a probability sample of about 100 U.S. hospital emergency departments, while SaferProducts.gov collects voluntary reports from consumers, manufacturers, and clinicians. The danger score, trend indicators, and demographic breakdowns update automatically when CPSC releases a new yearly NEISS file, which is why this page is dated 2024-12-31. For regulatory context, consult CPSC recall notices and the SaferProducts.gov public database linked below.
Annual Injury Estimates (2005–2024)
Source: CPSC NEISS national estimates CPSC NEISS national estimates Injuries represent ER-treated cases only
Who Gets Injured?
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-4 | 84 | 201 | |
| 5-14 | 12 | 815 | |
| 15-24 | 0 | 2,485 | |
| 25-34 | 90 | 1,995 | |
| 35-44 | 0 | 1,869 | |
| 45-54 | 88 | 1,227 | |
| 55-64 | 72 | 967 | |
| 65-74 | 0 | 474 | |
| 75+ | 0 | 45 |
Most Common Injuries
| Body Part | Diagnosis | Est. Injuries |
|---|---|---|
| Head | Derma/conjunct | |
| Head | Other | |
| Face | Derma/conjunct | |
| Head | Laceration | |
| Eyeball | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Head | Contusions, Abr. | |
| Face | Laceration | |
| Face | Other | |
| Neck | Derma/conjunct | |
| Ear | Laceration | |
| Face | Burns, Thermal | |
| Head | Burn, Chemical | |
| Head | Internal Injury | |
| Finger | Foreign Body | |
| Ear | Other |
Severity Breakdown
ER Visit Narratives
Real anonymized emergency room reports from the CPSC NEISS database.
56YOF C/O GENERALIZED HIVES W/ ITCHING STATES HAVING ALLERGIC REACTION TO THE HAIR SHE HAD DONE THIS EVENING DX: ALLERGIC REACTION
27YOF PT C/O RASH AND ITCHING TO FACE AND SHORTNESS OF BREATH AFTER PUTTING ON A WIG THIS MORNING DX: ALLERGIC REACTION
74YOF PRESENTS COMPLAINING OF WORSENING RASH TO HER NECK, BACK AND THROAT. GOT HAIR DONE WITH SYNTHETIC HAIR LAST WEEK. SINCE HAS HAD A RASH. EXAM:BILATERAL HIVES WITH CONTACT DERMATITIS TYPE CHANGES. DX: DERMATITIS CONTACT, RASH
42YOF C/O HEAD LACERATION. PLACED A NEW WIG 4 WEEKS AGO AND HAS NOT TAKEN IT OFF UNTIL TODAY. LARGE LACERATION AND WOUND TO FRONTAL FOREHEAD. SCAN WAS NEGATIVE. DX: LACERATION OF SCALP
38YOF PRESENTS TO ED COMPLAINS OF SKIN PROBLEM TO FOREHEAD. PLACED A NEW WIG ON AND BELIEVES IT PULLED AND OPENED SKIN ON HER FOREHEAD. DX: SKIN ABRASION,
67 YOF WITH CUT TO HER SCALP, BEHIND RIGHT EAR, AFTER GETTING A WEAVE PUT IN 2 MONTHS PTA. DX ABSCESS
15 YOF HAD A WEAVE/ EXTENSIONS PLACED IN HER HAIR ON 7/4 THAT CUT INTO HER POSTERIOR SCALP CAUSING A 7CM LACERATION. DX: ACUTE POSTERIOR SCALP WOUND
22YOF C/O FACIAL SWELLING S/P PT STATES SHE RECENTLY WENT SWIMMING AND NORMALLY REMOVES HER HAIR WEAVE TO DO SO, BUT DIDN'T THIS TIME AND BELIEVES THE CHLORINE IN HER HAIR WEAVE IRRITATED HER FACE. DX: FACIAL SWELLING
3YOF WITH RASH ON HAIR LINE AFTER PT WORE A WIG FOR A BIRTHDAY PARTY. PT ALSO HAS BUMPS OVER ARMS AND LEGS. DX: ALLERGIC CONTACT DERMATITIS DUE TO OTHER AGENTS
57YOF WITH PAIN TO HER SCALP AND EYE SWELLING. PATIENT STATES THIS STARTED ABOUT A WEEK AGO WHEN SHE HAD SYNTHETIC BRAIDS PLACED. DX: CONTACT DERMATITIS, PERIORBITAL EDEMA
28YOF, WAS WEARING A WIG FOR THE PAST 2 WEEKS WHEN DEVELOPED A PAINFUL LUMP TO THE BACK OF HER SCALP, NO THINNERS, DX: ABRASION OF SCALP WITH INFECTION
58YOF RASH. PT REPORTS SHE HAD LONG BRAIDS IN HER HAIR THAT WERE IRRITATING HER HEAD AND BACK LAST MONTH. SHE TOOK THE BRAIDS OUT AND DEVELOPED A RASH ON HER ABDOMEN AND BACK. DX: RASH
Consumer Incident Reports
Reports filed by consumers on SaferProducts.gov.
my daughter developed a cough from hair extensions. the product was ruwa (1B) hair extensions. my daughter was is 10 used them. the product was being used in her head (hair extensions) no injuries developed bad cough had to go to her doctor and was prescribed a inhaler
SAFETY CONCERN: Wigs & hair extensions that pose a threat of serious injury caused by ignition from an open flame source. BACKGROUND: Historically, the wig market has been supplied with wigs and hair extensions composed of flame retardant fibers, such as modacrylic, PVC, and flame retardant polyester. An emerging threat is being posed by the use of non-flame retardant fibers, such as non-FR polyester, as a material for such products. Potential ignition sources include open flame cooking devices, candles, lighters or igniters, etc. In addition to the threat of direct burning from the flame produced, a significiant threat is also posed by the melting polyester resin when it contacts the skin of the wearer.
Product Recalls
Search for active and past recalls related to wigs, falls or hairpieces on the CPSC website.
Frequently Asked Questions
How dangerous are wigs, falls or hairpieces?
Based on 20 years of CPSC data, wigs, falls or hairpieces have a danger score of 32/100 (low risk). An estimated 521 ER-treated injuries occur annually in the U.S. related to this product category.
What are the most common injuries from wigs, falls or hairpieces?
The most common injury is derma/conjunct to the head, accounting for approximately 1,994 injuries over 20 years.
Are injuries from wigs, falls or hairpieces increasing or decreasing?
Up 39% over 5 years.
Who is most at risk for wigs, falls or hairpieces injuries?
The 15-24 age group accounts for the most injuries, with approximately 2,485 cases recorded over 20 years. Females are more frequently injured in this age group.
What happens when someone is injured by wigs, falls or hairpieces?
Of all ER visits involving wigs, falls or hairpieces, approximately 0.9% result in hospital admission. The majority of patients (99.0%) are treated and released from the emergency department.
How can I report a safety problem with wigs, falls or hairpieces?
You can file a consumer incident report at SaferProducts.gov, the official CPSC reporting portal. Reports help the CPSC identify emerging hazards and trigger investigations or recalls. You can also call the CPSC hotline at 1-800-638-2772.
Related Products in Personal Care & Safety Products
Safety Guides
What this means for you
Treat the 32/100 score as relative risk between products, not your personal odds of injury.
- See where this category ranks against every other tracked product. Full rankings
- Injuries cluster in the 15-24 age group, take extra care if that describes your household.
- Check for active recalls on this product before you assume it is safe. CPSC recalls
NEISS estimates ER-treated injuries from a national probability sample of hospitals; they do not capture injuries treated elsewhere or not treated at all.
Data: CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) 2005–2024 and SaferProducts.gov consumer incident reports. Injury estimates are based on a nationally representative probability sample of U.S. hospital emergency departments. This page is for informational purposes only and is not affiliated with the CPSC.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, scored, and verified.
