An official study reveals that chemical hair straightening treatments used by millions of Americans may double the risk of womb cancer.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) studied 33,000 women across the United States for more than a decade.
4.05 percent of women who used straightening products four or more times per year were diagnosed with uterine cancer, compared to 1.64 percent of those who did not.
Scientists believe that the chemicals in the creams enter the bloodstream via the scalp and proceed to the uterus.
Approximately three percent of all cancers diagnosed in American women each year are uterine cancers.
Researchers warn that rates have increased in the United States in recent years, especially among black women.
Approximately 66,000 new instances of womb cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States, making it the most prevalent disease of the female reproductive system.
Symptoms include vaginal bleeding between periods, pelvic pain or cramping, and a white or clear vaginal discharge.
According to the American Society for Clinical Oncology, around 8% of patients survive at least five years after their diagnosis.
However, the rate drops to 63% for black women, who are more likely to be diagnosed with an aggressive type, according to doctors.
In the first study of its sort, women between the ages of 35 and 74 were observed for nearly eleven years.
During this period, there were 378 incidences of uterine cancer.
In the group of women who never used hair straighteners, 1.09 percent acquired uterine cancer.
There were 332 diagnoses among the 30,329 women in this cohort.
But the percentage was 1.65% among individuals who used them more than four times per year.
Among the 1,572 women in this cohort, 26 were diagnosed.
Twelve more cases were identified among the 1,464 (0.82 %) who used them less than four times per year. Despite controlling for age, the group’s risk remained greater than those who had never used the goods.
Scientists then projected the percentage in each group who would develop cancer by the age of 70 to determine the results.
Approximately sixty percent of women who used hair straightening creams were black, according to the experts, indicating that this group may be at greater risk.
Dr. Alexandra White, an epidemiologist at the NIH who led the study, expressed worry at the doubling rate. However, it is vital to put this information in perspective, as uterine cancer is a relatively uncommon kind of cancer.
Additional research is required to confirm these findings in other groups, to evaluate if hair products contribute to health disparities in uterine cancer, and to identify the precise chemicals that may be raising the risk of cancer in women.
According to the researcher, this is the first epidemiological study to explore the link between straightener use and uterine cancer.
All hair is composed of the protein keratin, which contains sulfide molecules.
These occasionally form pairs, or disulfide bonds, which are responsible for hair curls.
Chemical hair straightening functions by dissolving these connections and modifying the hair’s structure.
This causes it to become “relaxed” and straight.
The treatments, which contain formaldehyde and parabens, are applied to individual hair strands, where they break down the connections.
After around 20 minutes, the chemicals are washed off and heat, such as that from machine straighteners, is used to guarantee that the hair is straight when it sets.
They can be applied by a hairdresser for up to $1,000 or at home using supplies purchased from Amazon for approximately $48.
Typically, hair transformed in this manner remains straight for several months, or until sufficient new hair grows in.
Black ladies utilize it more frequently because their hair is typically considerably more curly. According to a poll, 62% of women in this demographic utilize the goods.
Scientists suggested in their research that toxins from hair straighteners may reach the bloodstream via the scalp.
They would then go to the uterus, hence increasing the risk of cancer.
No specific brands or substances were examined in the investigation.
However, scientists cautioned that the usage of parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde in chemical hair straighteners may increase the risk of cancer.
They added that burns and lesions can increase the pace at which it is absorbed.
The report was published in the National Cancer Institute’s Journal.
It was based on 33,497 women who participated in the Sister Study, which investigates risk factors for different malignancies in women.
Participants were recruited between 2003 and 2009 and followed for almost a decade.
