Hair Straightening Products Linked to Uterine Cancer Risk: Study

Oct. 18, 2022 — Women who use chemical hair straightening merchandise could also be at an elevated threat for uterine most cancers, in line with new analysis from the National Institutes of Health.  

Women who use straightening merchandise greater than 4 instances per 12 months have the very best threat for growing uterine most cancers, in line with the research. More particularly, the researchers discovered that ladies who used straightening or stress-free merchandise greater than 4 instances per 12 months had been greater than twice as more likely to develop uterine most cancers in comparison with those that do not use these merchandise. 

Lead research writer Alexandra White, PhD, stated that about 1.64% of girls who do not use chemical hair straightening merchandise develop uterine most cancers by age 70. But for frequent customers of those merchandise, that threat goes as much as 4.05%. 

“This double charge is regarding,” she stated. But “it is necessary to place this info into context,” she famous, as “uterine most cancers is a comparatively uncommon kind of most cancers.” 

Previous analysis has linked hair product use, equivalent to hair dye, to elevated dangers of different hormone-sensitive cancers equivalent to breast most cancers. But researchers imagine that is the primary evaluation that examined the usage of hair straighteners in relation to uterine most cancers.

The research examined hair product utilization and uterine most cancers incidence throughout an 11-year interval amongst 33 ,947 ladies whose ages ranged from 35 to 70. The evaluation managed for variables equivalent to age, race, and threat elements. 

Uterine most cancers is the ninth most typical kind of most cancers within the United States, in line with the National Cancer Institute, with greater than 65,000 new circumstances recognized yearly. More than 12,000 deaths are brought on by uterine most cancers annually.

Hair straightening product utilization was extra widespread amongst ladies with low bodily exercise and amongst African American ladies, the research discovered. 

“Because Black women use hair straightening or relaxer products more frequently and tend to initiate use at earlier ages than other races and ethnicities, these findings may be even more relevant for them,” stated Che-Jung Chang, PhD, one of many research authors,  in a press release. 

The research was funded by the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Health and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and was printed within the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Monday.