New Study Shows Chemical Hair-Straightening Products Can Increase Risk For Uterine Cancer
Women use a variety of hair and skincare products each day, many of which contain toxic chemicals that are absorbed into our bloodstream. One product in particular that may be causing significant damage to the body is a chemical hair straightener. A new study suggests that regular use of this product can increase your risk for uterine cancer.
The average woman uses 12 different beauty products a day, from face cleanser to hair spray to foundation to body lotion. It was only recently that women were informed of how dangerous these products can be if they contain toxins and chemicals, because even though they're being used on the outside of our body, the ingredients are eventually absorbed into our bloodstream. However, a new study shows that chemical hair straighteners in particular pose a high risk to women's health.
New Study Shows Chemical Hair-Straightening Products Can Increase Risk for Uterine Cancer
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a study to find out what the risk would be for women using chemical hair straighteners regularly. 33,947 women between the ages of 35 and 74 participated, from different racial backgrounds and walks of life, and they were studied for more than 10 years. During this time period, 378 women developed uterine cancer. The study found that 4.05% of women who used chemical hair straighteners developed uterine cancer, compared to the 1.64% of women who didn't use those products.
Cancer in the uterus is still rare so it doesn't pose as big of a threat as something like breast cancer, but it's still something to be aware of.
"We estimated that 1.64 percent of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70, but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05 percent," Alexandra White of the US National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) said. "However, it is important to put this information into context. Uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer."
She added that this is the "first epidemiological evidence of association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer" and there needs to be more research conducted to "identify specific chemicals driving this observed association."
We know that chemical hair straighteners (and other similar products) contain endocrine disruptors that have an effect on everything from your thyroid to your fertility, and they have also been tied to various types of cancer. It may seem like chemical straightener isn't going to affect you much since it's being applied to your hair, but that product can seep into your scalp and enter your bloodstream.
The women who are most affected by this discovery are black women since they are much more likely to straighten their hair than any other racial demographic. An NIEHS spokesperson says "these findings may be even more relevant for them" since they tend to start using these products at a very early age.
Earlier this year, the European Union banned an ingredient in the popular hair product Olaplex No. 3 called lilial that could cause allergies and infertility. But this ingredient has yet to be banned in the United States. It seems there are more and more studies showing the dangerous connection between hair products and health issues. Fortunately, we're moving into a time when more people are raising awareness about the damage that can be done by the seemingly harmless beauty products we use on a daily basis.