A new study conducted by scientists has found a connection between using certain hair products and an increased risk of cancer in women.
The research, published by the Journal of The National Cancer Institute on Monday, suggested that hair straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, are not only associated with an increased risk of certain hormone-related cancers, including breast and ovarian cancers, but also with an increased risk of uterine cancer.
The study estimates that among women who did not use hair-straightening chemical products in the past 12 months, 1.6% developed uterine cancer by age 70, but about 4% of the women who frequently use such hair-straightening products developed uterine cancer by age 70.
The researchers noted that black women may be more affected due to higher use of the products.
The new study includes data on nearly 34,000 women in the United States, ages 35 to 74, who completed questionnaires about their use of certain hair products, including perms, dyes, relaxers and straighteners.
The researchers, from the National Institutes of Health, found a strong association between hair straightening products and uterine cancer cases, according to the publication.
The study data also showed that the association between hair straightening products and uterine cancer cases was most pronounced for Black women, who made up only 7.4% of the study participants, but 59.9% of those who reported ever using straighteners.
Several factors likely play a role in the frequent use of hair straightening products: Eurocentric standards of beauty, social pressures placed on Black and Latina women in workplace settings related to microaggressions and the threat of discrimination, along with desired versatility in changing hairstyles and self-expression.
Read the full report here from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
