Researchers find uterine cancer risk more than two and a half times higher for women who used straightening products.
“These findings are the first epidemiologic evidence of association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer,” White and colleagues wrote in the Journal of the National The link between straightener use and uterine cancer did not differ by race in the study. After researchers accounted for participants’ other risk factors, the odds of developing uterine cancer were more than two and a half times higher for women who had used straightening products more than four times in the previous year.
Lead author Alexandra White, a cancer epidemiologist with the National Institutes of Health led the study, told AFP it grew out of her previous research that ...
The link was stronger still for frequent users — defined as more than four uses in the past 12 months. Over the course of 11 years, 378 women developed uterine cancer, which primarily affects tissue lining the uterus called endometrium. A related commentary in the journal acknowledged some shortcomings, but said the study added to a “growing body of evidence” that “hair-straightening products are associated with hormone-related cancers in women,” and called for evidence-driven policy changes. Women who reported using hair straightening products in the past year were almost twice as likely to develop uterine cancer compared to women that never used them, the researchers found. “That led us to extend our previous work, just focusing on uterine cancer.” Uterine cancer accounts for three percent of all new cancers but is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system, with more than 65,000 new cases and 12,500 deaths are expected in 2022. The findings, published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, have particular relevance for Black women, who make up a majority of users of straightening products in the United States.
A national study suggests a link to this particular cancer among women who reported frequent use of the chemical products.
The Sister Study cohort includes 50,884 women aged 35 to 74 who had at least one sister with breast cancer but were themselves breast cancer-free when they enrolled in 2003-9. As part of the study analysis, the scientists made adjustments for other factors that could impact cancer risk, such as body mass index, physical activity, menopausal status, smoking, alcohol use and use of hormones for contraception or replacement therapy. But they noted in the paper that several chemicals that have been found in straighteners, such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals and formaldehyde, could play a role in the increased uterine cancer risk, and that some of those chemicals have endocrine-disrupting properties. Hair products and other cosmetics do not need approval by the Food and Drug Administration to be sold. The researchers did not gather information about the brands or the ingredients in the hair products used by study participants. Hair straightener use has also been tied in previous studies to a higher risk of ovarian and breast cancers. “We don’t want to panic people,” said Alexandra White, head of the environment and cancer epidemiology group of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (N.I.E.H.S.) and the study’s lead author. “One could make a decision to reduce this chemical exposure, but we also want to acknowledge that there is a lot of pressure on women, especially Black women, to have straight hair. Progress in the field. women for more than a decade. Rates of uterine cancer have been rising recently among all women in the United States, but Black women die of uterine cancer at twice the rate that white women do, according to a Women who use chemical hair straighteners frequently could have a higher risk of developing uterine cancer than women who have never used the products, according to new findings from a national study that has followed nearly 34,000 U.S.
NIH study finds Black women may be more affected due to higher use.
Although, the study did not find that the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer incidence was different by race, the adverse health effects may be greater for Black women due to higher prevalence of use. However, in the paper they note that several chemicals that have been found in straighteners (such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde) could be contributing to the increased uterine cancer risk observed. “To our knowledge this is the first epidemiologic study that examined the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer,” said White. “We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70; but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%,” said Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author on the new study. Studies show that [incidence rates](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/study-shows-incidence-rates-aggressive-subtypes-uterine-cancer-rising) of uterine cancer have been rising in the United States, particularly among Black women. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. >Women who used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using these products, according to a new study from the National Institutes of Health. The women were followed for almost 11 years and during that time 378 uterine cancer cases were diagnosed. For more information on NIEHS or environmental health topics, visit O’Brien, Alexander P. Department of Health and Human Services. “This doubling rate is concerning.
Hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of developing uterine cancer among those who use them frequently, a large study published on ...
"More research is warranted to ... identify specific chemicals driving this observed association." National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) said in a statement. "These findings are the first epidemiologic evidence of association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer," White and colleagues wrote in After accounting for participants' other risk factors, the odds of developing uterine cancer were more than two and a half times higher for women who had used straightening products more than four times in the previous year. Still, uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, according to the U.S.
A new study that Black women are at a higher risk of uterine cancer because of their use of chemical hair-straightening products.
“I love the fact that almost all of them are natural,” Tanee Newby, 29, who appeared on one of the kits as a child, told The Post. It would prohibit “discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair.” The Senate hasn't voted on the bill; more than a dozen states have passed [laws to ban racial discrimination against natural hair](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/massachusetts-joins-wave-states-banning-racial-discrimination-natural-rcna40273) since 2019. For example, in 2018, a Black varsity high school wrestler in New Jersey was [told to cut off his dreadlocks](https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/referee-s-forcing-wrestler-cut-dreadlocks-match-sparks-n-j-n951421) or forfeit a match. Hair care products targeted toward Black women seeking to fit such beauty standards are often full of endocrine-disrupting and asthma-associated chemicals, many of which aren’t listed on product labels, according to a 2018 study published in the journal If you care about Black women’s health, you have to care about our hair.” But the apparent cultural shift has come with societal and even economic consequences, as Black people have had to fight workplace and school discrimination over their natural hair. show yourselves.” The models, now women, responded by sharing photos of themselves. We really aren’t thinking about all the consequences, implications and harms that result from this kind of discrimination.” Pressure to adhere to societal beauty standards that glorify and prioritize hair textures and styles associated with white people have led some Black people to rely on harmful hair care products like chemical relaxers to look the part, said Wendy Greene, a law professor at Drexel Kline School of Law who studies Black hair discrimination. “Sixty percent of the participants who reported using straighteners were Black women. For non-users, the absolute risk is about 1.64%, and then when you look at frequent users, the risk goes up to 4.05%. Researchers said chemicals like parabens, phthalates and fragrances in hair care products disrupt the endocrine system, which helps regulate hormones.
The study authors highlighted how the risks may be more heightened for Black women, who reported using hair straightening products more frequently than ...
However, they noted that several chemicals commonly found in straighteners — such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde — could be contributing to the increased uterine cancer risk. But those who reported using hair straightening products more than four times in the previous year were found to be more than twice as likely to go on to develop uterine cancer, the study found. The study data included 33,497 U.S. "This doubling rate is concerning. An estimated 65,950 new cases have been reported in 2022. women between the ages of 35 and 74, found no such link for other hair products, including hair dyes, bleach, highlights, or perms.
Rare and aggressive uterine cancers are rapidly rising in the United States, especially among people of color, and a new study suggests chemical ...
However, more studies are warranted to understand the interrelationship between physical activity, hair product use, and uterine cancer." The study on this latest type of cancer did not identify differences between racial and ethnic groups, but the authors note that because Black women use straightening products at younger ages, higher rates, and higher concentrations, the hazards may be greater. Flat ironing or blow drying could also thermally decompose chemicals on the hair, leading to potentially more hazardous effects. [Journal of the National Cancer Institute](https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djac165/6759686?login=false#376777873). Now, uterine cancer can be added to the list as well. Hair products are left out, and that could be seriously harming public health. What's more, 84 percent of the chemicals identified were not listed on product labels, and 11 products contained chemicals prohibited under the European Union's Cosmetics Directive or regulated under California law. [write](https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djac165/6759686?login=false#376777873). [half of all women in the US](https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.32738) have used permanent hair dye at some point, and smoothing keratin treatments and Brazilian blowouts are growing more popular. [study](https://academic.oup.com/carcin/article/42/9/1189/6309952?login=false) found permanent hair dye and straightening chemicals are also associated with a higher risk of ovarian cancer. [study](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijc.32738) funded by the NIH found permanent hair dye and straightening chemicals are associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, especially among black women who tend to receive these treatments more often. [only when it comes to pesticides and drinking water contaminants](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7437819/).
The decade-long study said Black women may be more affected because they tend to use hair straightening products more often.
However, they noted that several chemicals that have been found in straighteners (such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde) could be contributing to the higher uterine cancer risk observed. [previously found](https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/releases/2019/december4/index.cfm) that permanent hair dyes and straighteners may increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. "These findings are the first epidemiologic evidence of association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer," White and colleagues wrote in the study. [Journal of the National Cancer Institute](https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djac165/6759686?login=false). After accounting for participants' other risk factors, the odds of developing uterine cancer were more than two and a half times higher for women who had used straightening products more than four times in the previous year. "We estimated that 1.64 per cent of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70, but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05 per cent," study leader Alexandra White, of NIEHS,
Chemical hair-straightening products may be putting women, especially Black women, at greater risk of uterine cancer, a National Institutes of Health study ...
National Cancer Institute, with recent studies showing incidence rates on the [rise ](https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/study-shows-incidence-rates-aggressive-subtypes-uterine-cancer-rising)in the country, particularly among Black women. [33,497 women](https://sisterstudy.niehs.nih.gov/English/about.htm) in the United States between the ages of 35 and 74 as they used hair dyes, straighteners, relaxers or pressing products for, on average, over a decade. It called for more research “to identify specific chemicals driving this observed association.” In 2019, the latest year for which Factors that increase risk include obesity, genetics and being over 50, The same team found in a 2019 women, and 11,556 died of it. “Hair products may contain hazardous chemicals with endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic properties,” the report said. However, it is important to put this information into context — uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.” And damage caused by heat and chemical straightening has long been a concern for Black women. “This doubling rate is concerning. About 60 percent of the participants self-identified as Black women in the study, which was [published ](https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djac165/6759686?login=false)in the peer-reviewed Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Monday — with 378 uterine cancer cases diagnosed over that time.
WOMEN who frequently use chemical hair straightening products could face more than twice the risk of uterine cancer compared to those who never use them, ...
The link was stronger still for frequent users — defined as more than four uses in the past 12 months. Over the course of 11 years, 378 women developed uterine cancer, which primarily affects tissue lining the uterus called endometrium. Women who reported using hair straightening products in the past year were almost twice as likely to develop uterine cancer compared to women that never used them, the researchers found.
“We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70, but for frequent users, that risk ...
White and colleagues wrote in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute. “These findings are the first epidemiologic evidence of association between use of straightening products and uterine cancer,” Ms. After accounting for participants’ other risk factors, the odds of developing uterine cancer were more than two and a half times higher for women who had used straightening products more than four times in the previous year.
Scientists are uncovering new details in the connection between using certain hair straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, ...
Otis Brawley, professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and former chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said in an email to CNN. “On top of that, we know that Black women tend to use multiple products simultaneously, which could contribute to Black women on average having higher concentrations of these hormone-disrupting chemicals in their system.” “All of these processes are linked to cancer.” Understanding how these chemicals work beyond the hormonal system is still a new and growing area of research,” James-Todd told CNN. 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. Black women may be more affected due to higher use of the products, the researchers noted.
Women who use chemical hair straightening products may be at an increased risk for uterine cancer, according to new research.
But researchers believe this is the first analysis that examined the use of hair straighteners in relation to uterine cancer. More specifically, the researchers found that women who used straightening or relaxing products more than four times per year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer compared to those who don't use these products. More than 12,000 deaths are caused by uterine cancer each year. The analysis controlled for variables such as age, race, and risk factors. Uterine cancer is the ninth most common type of cancer in the United States, according to the "This double rate is concerning," she said.
A new study found an association between the use of hair-straightening chemicals and an increased risk of developing uterine cancer. Here's what it means.
A new study found women who frequently use chemicals to straighten their hair may be at higher risk for developing uterine cancer.
“A number of factors can influence a woman’s risk to go on and develop cancer,” White said. And then they circulate throughout your body,” White said. “Women who reported using chemical straighteners or relaxers had about a two-fold higher risk of going on to develop uterine cancer,” White said.
Using hair-straightening chemicals could raise the risk of uterine cancer, and Black women may be most at risk, according to a recent study.
About 60% of the people in the study who reported using straightening products in the past year were Black women. "Black women can opt not to use certain hair straighteners, but these systemic issues still largely exist and play a role." [don't need approval from the U.S. – and Black women may be most at risk, according to a recent study. White works with the NIH Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group. [the 50,000-population Sister Study](https://sisterstudy.niehs.nih.gov/English/about.htm), which examines risk factors for breast cancer and other health issues. "Ideally, we'd like to make sure that the chemicals in these products are safe for people, and that could mean more testing of chemicals in the products, and California has passed legislation that requires labels on products that identify them as containing potentially hazardous chemicals." "It's not that the chemicals are necessarily conferring a higher risk in Black women, it's just that we know Black women are much more likely to be using these products, using them more frequently and to start at an earlier age," White said. Nearly 66,000 uterine cancer cases have been reported this year in the U.S., and the cancer makes up about 3% of all new cancer cases, according to the NIH. Women who reported using hair-straightening products – permanent processes like chemical relaxers, for example – more than four times in a year were more likely to get uterine cancer at some point than a person who didn’t use those products, according to the study. The study did not show that straightener use and uterine cancer rates differed by race, White said, nor did it find that Black women more susceptible to these chemicals. Using hair-straightening products with chemicals could raise the risk of developing uterine cancer – the most common cancer affecting the female reproductive system in the U.S.
The use of various EDCs in hair products has been linked to hormone-sensitive cancers, such as ovarian and breast cancer. In addition, the constituents of hair ...
Finally, the use of straightening products also included pressing products that might impact the relationship between relaxers, chemical straighteners, and uterine cancer. Further research is required to confirm such findings and evaluate the role of hair products in uterine cancer. Second, self-reporting of the use of hair products leads to exposure to previously unidentified chemical mixtures. “To our knowledge this is the first epidemiologic study that examined the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer,” said White. [Journal of the National Cancer Institute](https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djac165/6759686) aimed to analyze the association of hair product use with age-specific uterine cancer in a large, ethnically, and racially diverse population in the United States. “We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70; but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%,” said Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author on the new study. The confirmed uterine cancer cases were then classified as endometrial cancers and further defined as type I and type II endometrial cancer. The response options were “1-2 times per year”, “every 5-8weeks”, “every 3-4months”, “did not use,” and “once per month.” In addition, information on the frequency of nonprofessional application of others was obtained for semi-permanent hair dyes, permanent hair dyes, relaxers, straighteners, or pressing products. All participants had to complete an interview and questionnaires on the use of hair products at baseline. Study: [Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer](https://academic.oup.com/jnci/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jnci/djac165/6759686?login=false). The use of various EDCs in hair products has been linked to hormone-sensitive cancers, such as ovarian and breast cancer. Studies have shown that more than half of women in the United States and Europe use permanent hair dyes.
Scientists are uncovering new details in the connection between using certain hair straightening products, such as chemical relaxers and pressing products, ...
Otis Brawley, professor at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health and former chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, said in an email to CNN. "So, it could be that the way these chemicals are operating is through altering not only hormonal responses, but also by altering immune or even vascular responses," she said. Understanding how these chemicals work beyond the hormonal system is still a new and growing area of research," James-Todd told CNN. "On top of that, we know that Black women tend to use multiple products simultaneously, which could contribute to Black women on average having higher concentrations of these hormone-disrupting chemicals in their system." 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. Black women may be more affected due to higher use of the products, the researchers noted.