Properly coloring or straightening your hair could alter your appearance and increase your confidence in hours. However, both methods utilize products laced with potent chemical compounds, which can cause you to think there are health risks associated with the process. In particular, Do hair relaxers cause cancer?
Please learn more about how relaxing hair dyes can be used, the investigated ingredients, and what research informs about whether relaxing or using hair dyes increase your risk of getting cancer?
Which are the hair relaxers, and what about hair dyes?
A chemical straightener for hair, also called a relaxer for hair, is a chemical ingredient that alters the hair’s structure between curly and straight. Hair relaxers straighten hair for months, and hair can remain straight after it has been wet. Hair relaxers contain various chemical components and come in multiple formulations like liquid keratin or thermal reconditioning.
Permanent hair dye strips hair’s natural coloring. It is then used to give the hair new shades. As the name implies, this kind of dye permanently alters the shadow of the hair. But, the natural color starts appearing at the roots after a few weeks. Hair dyes also have various chemical elements, such as peroxide or bleach.
What have studies revealed about hair dyes, relaxers, and a possible cancer risk?
The studies conducted on relaxers or hair dyes and the potential cancer risk have not always been consistent in their conclusions. In the last five years, numerous research studies conducted in the United States have investigated the connection between hair products and cancer. These studies have been focused on cancers like breast cancer, ovarian cancer as well as Uterine cancer that make use of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone to increase their growth.
The studies mentioned herein offered conclusive evidence that dyes or hair relaxers are causing or not causing cancer. However, they did demonstrate an association between the recourse to chemical hair straighteners as well as the ovarian, breast, and uterine cancers. This could be due to chemicals commonly found in these products, such as formaldehyde, formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, oxidized para-phenylenediamine, and 4-aminobiphenyl, potentially leading to cancer.
In a study published in 2020 that was published in the International Journal of Cancer, Researchers found that women who frequently used chemical hair straighteners, which is defined as more than six times per year, had around a 30% increased chance of developing breast cancer. In a similar way, as per the results of a 2021 study published in the field of carcinogenesis and the 2022 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, women who regularly used chemical hair straighteners that were defined as more than four times per year and twice more likely to be diagnosed with cancer of the ovary and double as likely be diagnosed with the uterine cancer of women who didn’t make use of chemical hair straighteners.
In the same research, there was some evidence suggesting that permanent hair dye was linked to an increase in the risk of breast cancer, especially in Black women. But, there was no link in the study between dyeing your hair and uterine or ovarian cancers.
A different 2020 study published in The British Medical Journal identified a higher chance of ovarian and breast cancers among women who dyed their hair at least 100 times. This study didn’t, however, find an association between the use of permanent hair dyes and other types of cancers, including brain, bladder, colon, kidney, or lung cancers.
Are specific categories of people at greater risk?
Black individuals use hair relaxers more frequently than other races or ethnic groups, and this can put them at a greater chance of getting cancer. One example is that a research study from 2017 discovered that 88 percent of Black women employed chemical straighteners, compared to 5 percent of White women. “As Black women are the most frequent users of these products, these results are more important and relevant for their use,” says Dr. White. According to Dr. White, scientists need to understand the variety of hair care products used across different ethnic and racial groups and then analyze these products and the cancer risk for diverse populations.
Hairdressers are another category of people who might be at greater risk of developing cancer from these products. The occupational hazard of working every day with these types of products was studied by experts from the International Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, which has classified the use of colorants as a possible carcinogen.
What should they look for when evaluating these products for hair?
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates hair products. However, it doesn’t examine the effects on safety, which is the manufacturer’s sole obligation. When looking at products, the FDA’s site recommends studying the label to determine and avoid formaldehyde as well as its liquid forms, such as formalin and methylene glycol, since formaldehyde is known to be a carcinogen. A carcinogen is a substance that causes cancer. You may also inquire with your stylist about the ingredients they use in the hair products that they employ.
If you’re worried about your cancer risk and how certain hair products can affect it, speak to your physician regarding your risk factors.
Conclusion: Finding Hope for Healing and Justice
If you, or someone you know, suffers from cancer potentially linked to hair relaxer use, know this: you are not alone. Countless women share your story, and they deserve answers. They deserve support. And most importantly, they deserve justice.
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