Straightening products used to straighten hair, especially by black women, pose an increased risk of uterine cancer (especially endometrial cancer, not to be confused with cervical cancer), according to a new study from the American Institutes of Health.
“We estimate that 1.64% of women who have never used a hair straightening product will have developed uterine cancer by age 70, but for frequent users this risk increases to 4.05%,” she said in a statement. Press release Alexandra White, lead author of this study. , published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
“The doubling of this rate is worrying,” he added, but “it is important to put this information in context, uterine cancer is a relatively rare form of cancer.” It accounts for about 3% of new cancer cases in the United States.
An 11-year study
The study is based on data from nearly 33,500 American women, followed for nearly 11 years. “Because black women use hair straightening or straightening products more frequently and tend to start younger (…), these results could be particularly interesting for them,” said Che-Jung Chang, a co-author of these works.
In this study, about 60% of women who reported using hair straightening products in the past year identified as black.
Compared to other beauty products, hair-straightening products may promote chemical absorption through injuries or burns to the scalp, or from the concurrent use of straightening irons whose heat breaks down chemicals, the study says.
Previous work using a similar cohort of women had already suggested a link between relaxants and an increased risk of breast cancer. But the researchers note that more research is needed to determine specifically which products may be linked to increased cancer risk.
Source: BFM TV
