Using hair-straightening products doubles your chances of getting uterine cancer, new study finds.
These statistics were published by the National Cancer Institute in the United States. The investigations lasted more than 10 years and involved 33,500 women.
There are chemicals in these hair-straightening products that essentially act like estrogen in the body”, which disrupts normal hormonal processes, and this could influence cancer risk.
Earlier studies have shown that hair straighteners contain so-called endocrine disrupting chemicals. The products have previously been associated with higher risks of breast and ovarian cancer.According to a new study published this Monday, products used to straighten hair increase the risk of uterine cancer. These findings were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute of the United States. This information is especially important for women in the black community in that country, as they are the ones who use straightening products the most for their curly hair, according to AFP.
According to research, women who use this type of hair straightening product frequently, more than four times a year, are twice as likely to develop uterine cancer, mainly endometrial cancer, which should not be confused with cancer of the uterus cervix. Regarding other hair products, such as dyes, colorants, reflections or permanents, the scientists found no associations between them and the disease.
The study's lead author, Alexandra White, explained: "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 is increased. at 4.05%”. And she added: "The doubling of this rate is worrying."
Cancer of the uterus is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system, accounting for about 3% of new cancer cases in the United States. If detected early, the prognosis is usually favorable , although treatment often involves removal of the uterus, which would prevent having children.
The data that served as the basis for the study were obtained from 33,500 American women who were followed for almost 11 years.
Study co-author Che-Jung Chang said the results "could be particularly interesting" for black women, since they tend to use hair-straightening products more often and at an earlier age. Approximately 60% of women who said they had used hair straightening products in the past year identified as black.
WHY THESE HAIR-STRAIGHTENING PRODUCTS INCREASE THE RISK OF CANCER?
Alexandra White explained that “there are chemicals in these hair-straightening products that essentially act like estrogen in the body”, which disrupts normal hormonal processes, and this could influence cancer risk.
Another possibility is that some products include carcinogens, such as formaldehyde, to break the bonds between the keratin proteins in the hair, changing its structure and straightening it.
While the women in the study were not asked what specific product they used, there is a keratin treatment known as “Brazilian straightening” that was popular when the women enrolled in this research, between 2003 and 2009. However, their use has since declined.
There are no specific brands or goods that have been compiled by scientists, but they point out that several chemicals present in these types of products could contribute to the increased risk of cancer. In addition to formaldehyde, better known as formol, they mention parabens, bisphenol A and metals.
How does the Hair-straightening products cause cancer?
Hair-straightening products may promote the absorption of chemicals through injuries or burns to the scalp, or through the use of straightening irons whose heat breaks down chemicals, the study explains.
Other research has already established a link between relaxers and an increased risk of breast cancer.
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