# Am I Toxic?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 1, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305 "2005-04-01T21:27:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [April 1, 2005, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305/1 "2005-04-01T21:27:59Z")

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I’ve noticed that any fabric that my head comes in contact with discolors after a period. Pillows turn sort of yellowish, even light-colored leather discolors. I wash my hair daily, and I don’t smoke. I notice that my wife doesn’t have this problem. Is this something odd, or is it normal?

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**Author:** ![Thylacinewas\_taken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c67d28/32.png) [@Thylacinewas\_taken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thylacinewas_taken)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305/2 "2005-04-02T00:34:03Z")

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Do you work around lots of grease (say, fast food)? Do you dye your hair?

Maybe since you have shorter hair than your wife (I assume), your scalp is more exposed to chairs and pillows. Maybe you have oilier skin than her.

That’s a lot of maybes. 🙂 I don’t know the answer… all I have is theories.

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**Author:** ![MaceMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@MaceMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaceMan)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305/3 "2005-04-02T04:39:46Z")

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The yellow color is the end result from facial sweat and possibly drooling while you sleep. Think “ring around the collar.”

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**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305/4 "2005-04-02T07:44:52Z")

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Some of the information [here](http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=485263) may be useful.

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**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305/5 "2005-04-02T16:07:00Z")

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> [@pinkfreud](#):
>
> Some of the information [here](http://www.answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=485263) may be useful.

Good information. I do eat spicy foods, onions, garlic and the like. So perhaps my body chemistry is out of whack.

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**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\
**Post date:** [April 2, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/am-i-toxic/297305/6 "2005-04-02T16:24:24Z")

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Are you Brittany Spears?