Permanent Hair Dye And Chemical Straighteners May Be Linked To Breast Cancer
There's an increase in the use of hair dye among women of color. I can particularly say this about Nigerian women as a good percentage of naturalists in Lagos Nigeria have dived into the fashion trend.
However, a new study published in the International Journal of Cancer has revealed that hair dyes and chemical straighteners may do far more damage to our health than our hair. The findings suggest that hair dyes and chemical straighteners may increase Black women’s risk of developing breast cancer.
The Sister Study, conducted by the National Institute of Health monitored 46,700 breast-cancer-free women between the ages 35 to 74 whose sisters had been diagnosed with the disease. Participants completed an assessment on their health, demographics, and lifestyle, which included the use of hair products (in the past 12 months) at enrollment and provided researchers with updates over the course of eight years.
The Sister Study, conducted by the National Institute of Health monitored 46,700 breast-cancer-free women between the ages 35 to 74 whose sisters had been diagnosed with the disease. Participants completed an assessment on their health, demographics, and lifestyle, which included the use of hair products (in the past 12 months) at enrollment and provided researchers with updates over the course of eight years.
Of the participants who reported the use of permanent hair dye and chemical straighteners, the research found that they had a greater chance of being among the 2,800 participants who ended up developing breast cancer. Hair dye use increased Black women’s risk by 45 percent and chemical straighteners increased risk by 18 percent. Overall, Black women had the highest risk of developing breast cancer among the study’s participants.
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