Chemical hair straighteners may be to blame in part for the rapid rise in rare and aggressive uterine cancer in the United States, especially among people of color, new research suggests. I’m here.
Researchers at the US National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) followed 33,947 adults who had a uterus at the time they entered the study for about 11 years. During this period, 378 cases of endometrial cancer were confirmed.
Those who had used smoothing agents four or more times in the 12 months prior to taking the study were 155% more likely to be subsequently diagnosed with uterine cancer than those who had never used smoothing agents. It seems that it has become.
For comparison, those who have never used hair straighteners have a 1.64% chance of being diagnosed with uterine cancer by the age of 70. For frequent chemical straighteners, this figure is 4.05%, a still small but significantly higher risk.
On the other hand, hair dye was not associated with uterine cancer.
“These results are the first epidemiological evidence of an association between hair straightening product use and uterine cancer,” the NIEHS researchers wrote.
The results are the most troubling in a recent series of studies on widely used endocrine-disrupting chemicals (messenger chemicals that connect hormones to target organs in the body).
Excess hormones such as estrogen and progesterone have been linked in the past to uterine cancer, and many hair products can mimic these natural hormones and bind to their receptors.
In 2018, researchers found endocrine-disrupting chemicals in 18 hair products they tested. Additionally, 84% of the identified chemicals were not listed on the product label, and 11 products contained chemicals prohibited by the European Union Cosmetics Directive and chemicals regulated by California law. I was there.
US federal regulations require estrogen receptor activity testing only for pesticides and drinking water contaminants. The omission of hair products can seriously harm public health.
In 2019, an NIH-funded study found that chemicals for permanent hair dyeing and straightening are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, especially in black women who tend to undergo these procedures frequently. It turns out.
In 2021, a follow-up study found that permanent hair dyes and hair straighteners were also associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer.
This time, uterine cancer may also join. Although the latter cancer study did not identify differences by race or ethnicity, the authors noted that black women were at higher risk because they used higher rates of straightening products at a younger age.
points out that it may increase. One study found that 89% of African American women reported using chemical relaxants or hair straighteners.
Researchers at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) still don’t know which chemicals in hair care products are carcinogenic, but parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde are among the most likely. mentioned as a suspect.
In addition, the human scalp can easily absorb chemicals that are difficult to penetrate in areas with thick skin and few hair roots, such as the palms and abdomen.
Irons and dryers can also thermally decompose chemicals in your hair, which can have more dangerous effects.
“We observed a stronger association with flat iron use in women who exercised less,” the authors wrote.
“Given that physical activity is associated with decreased sex steroid hormones and reduced chronic inflammation, women with high physical activity may be less susceptible to other risk factors for endometrial cancer.
However, , more research is needed to understand the interrelationships between physical activity, hair product use and uterine cancer.”
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