Raechele Cochran Gathers, MD Hair Products and Breast Cancer?
Are your hair products safe? Is there a link between permanent hair dye, chemical straighteners and breast cancer? A recently published study has found an increased risk of breast cancer in women that use permanent hair dyes and chemical hair straighteners. The risk of breast cancer was highest for Black women.
There have been many studies looking at the safety and possible cancer risks associated with our beauty products, in particular hair dyes and chemical hair straighteners. Many hair products contain what are called ‘endocrine-disrupting’ compounds which are thought to interfere with your endocrine/hormonal system. Some hair products may also contain ‘carcinogens’ which can increase your risk of cancer, including breast cancer. Products used by Black women might contain more potentially hormonally active chemicals.
Permanent Hair Dye, Chemical Hair Straighteners and Cancer
Earlier this month, researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (part of the National Institute of Health-NIH) published the results of their ‘Sister Study’ in the International Journal of Cancer. The results of the study are alarming and highlight a need for much deeper research.
The researchers looked at data from nearly 47,000 Black and White women, and compared their risk for breast cancer to their use of permanent hair dyes and chemical hair straighteners:
- Women who regularly used permanent hair dye in the year before the study were 9% more likely to get breast cancer than those that didn’t.
- Black women who used permanent hair dyes had a 45% higher risk of getting breast cancer (compared to a 7% higher risk in White women).
The study also found that the frequency of using chemical hair straighteners and hair dyes mattered too:
- Women who used chemical hair straighteners at least every 5 to 8 weeks were 30% more likely to get breast cancer.
- Black women who used permanent hair dye every 5 to 8 weeks had a 60% higher risk of developing breast cancer.
Permanent Hair Dyes and Straighteners: Other Studies
Unfortunately, the Sister Study was not the first to suggest a possible link between cancer risk and hair products. A study published in Carcinogenesis in 2017 by Dr. Adana Llanos looked at about 4,000 Black and White women and found:
- Using dark colored hair dyes was associated with a 51% increased risk of developing breast cancer in Black women, and a 72% increased risk of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer in Black women.
- Using chemical straighteners was associated with a 74% increased risk of getting breast cancer in White women.
Black Womens Health
Black women have higher rates of heart disease, diabetes and high blood pressure than our white counterparts. Black women with cancer have an increased risk of dying from cancer than our White counterparts. Putting your health first and knowing your risks is crucial.
Conclusion: Permanent Hair Dye, Straighteners and Breast Cancer
The ‘Sister Study,’ and others, suggest a possible link between permanent hair dye, chemical straighteners and breast cancer. Keep in mind that the ‘Sister Study’ and others don’t say that you will get breast cancer if you use permanent hair dyes or relax your hair; they only suggest that there may be an increased risk between them. If you like to color your hair, you should know that the ‘Sister Study’ found little to no increased risk of breast cancer with semi-permanent or temporary dyes.
Unfortunately, we’re exposed to many things that can potentially increase our risk of getting cancer. Whether or not to continue to use permanent hair dyes and chemical hair straighteners is up to each of us individually, and it’s a very personal decision. It’s up to each of us to decide what choices to make to potentially lower this risk.
