A woman has gone viral after sharing the unexpected reason her husband ended up in hospital, and it's left social media both horrified and amused.

Alaina, who posted the video online, revealed that her husband accidentally ate hair relaxer after mistaking it for ice cream. The product had been stored in an old ice cream tub and placed in the fridge after she had relaxed her pixie haircut, leading to an unfortunate mix-up.

Sharing the clip from hospital, Alaina showed her husband with a severe allergic reaction, his eyes noticeably swollen and barely able to open. Despite the alarming situation, he appeared to be in good spirits as she joked about what had happened. In the caption, she wrote:

"My husband comes to bed with 'ice cream'. I relaxed my pixie and put the leftovers in the fridge. He doesn't READ first!!"

She also added:

"It turns out this man's wife had put hair relaxer in an old ice cream tub without giving him the scoop."

Continuing the light-hearted tone, she joked:

"Instead of a mouthful of creamy, cold goodness, he got a mouth full of old-school 'creamy crack!'"

While the story has made many people laugh, accidentally consuming hair relaxer can be extremely dangerous. Hair relaxers are chemical products designed to permanently straighten tightly curled or textured hair by breaking down the hair's natural protein structure. Many formulations contain highly alkaline ingredients such as sodium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide or guanidine hydroxide, while others may include thioglycolate compounds, depending on the type of relaxer.

These chemicals are intended strictly for external use and can cause serious injuries if swallowed. Even small amounts may burn the mouth, throat and oesophagus, leading to severe irritation, swelling, difficulty swallowing, vomiting and, in some cases, breathing difficulties if the airway becomes affected. Depending on the amount consumed and the ingredients involved, accidental ingestion may require urgent medical treatment to prevent further complications. Chemical burns to the digestive tract are also possible, making immediate medical attention essential.

The incident also prompted questions about why the relaxer had been stored in the fridge in the first place. While manufacturers generally advise storing hair relaxers at room temperature in their original containers, some people temporarily transfer leftover product into another container to avoid waste, particularly when only a small amount is needed for a short hairstyle such as a pixie cut. However, health experts advise that chemicals should never be stored in food containers, as doing so significantly increases the risk of accidental ingestion.

The unusual story quickly attracted thousands of comments online. One person wrote:

"So he couldn't smell or taste chemicals in his mouth!?!?!"

Another commented:

"I'm not being funny but how is he even alive? With all that crap they are putting in there for scalps, let alone his stomach!! LOL."

Others were left with more questions than answers.

"Why would ice cream be in the fridge and not the freezer? Who puts relaxer in the fridge? Why didn't he read it? And taste alone??? Hello???? Many questions."

Another joked:

"Men are like adult children... no matter how educated they are you still have to sit and wonder!"

Fortunately, the video suggested Alaina's husband was recovering after receiving medical treatment, although the clip served as a reminder that everyday household products can become dangerous if they are stored incorrectly. Judging by the reaction online, it's also safe to say plenty of people will be checking what's inside the tub before reaching for a late-night snack.