According to new findings from a national study, women who use chemical hair straighteners frequently have a higher risk of developing uterine cancer than women who have never used the products.
The study did not establish a cause and effect relationship between hair straighteners and cancer of the uterus, a form of reproductive cancer that has been increasing in incidence among women.
The research found that for women who had never used hair straighteners, the risk of developing uterine cancer was 1.64 percent, while the rate for frequent users was more than doubled.
Black women are more likely to be affected by the increased risk compared to women from all racial and ethnic groups.
It defined frequent use as more than four times in the previous year, and included any personal use, whether women applied products themselves or had the straighteners applied by other people.
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White is the head of the environment and cancer epidemiology group of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. There is a lot of pressure on women to have straight hair and we want to acknowledge that. It is a difficult decision to not do this.
The data from the institute's Sister Study appears to be the first epidemiological study to report a link with uterine cancer, but researchers cautioned that more study is needed to confirm the findings. Previous studies have shown a higher risk of ovarian and breast cancer for people who use hair straighteners.
The study was published in The Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
According to a report from an expert panel in March, black women die of uterus cancer at a higher rate than white women. The gap is the largest of its kind.
There has been a correlation between hair straighteners and breast, ovarian, and now uterus cancer.
The researchers did not ask about the brands or ingredients used in the hair products. Some of the chemicals found in straighteners could play a role in the increased risk of uterine cancer, as well as some of the chemicals that disrupt the hormones. Chemical exposure from hair products like straighteners could be more concerning than other personal care products due to the potential for increased absorption through the scalp, which could cause burns.
The Food and Drug Administration does not approve hair products for sale. Companies and product manufacturers are responsible for ensuring the safety of their products, but they aren't required to test their ingredients for safety.
Alterations were made to other factors that could impact cancer risk, such as body mass index, physical activity, menopausal status, smoking, alcohol use and use of hormones for contraceptive or replacement therapy. The possibility of occupational exposures affecting the study's results was excluded from the analysis because women who worked in beauty salon or barbershops were not included. Women with uterus cancer tend to be older with an earlier age of menarche, a higher body mass index and less physical activity.
The study found that women who used hair straighteners frequently had an increased risk of developing uterine cancer, but that was not statistically significant and could have been a chance finding.
The incidence of uterus cancer is increasing fast. This year, 65,950 cases have been diagnosed, compared to 39,000 in the previous year.
50,884 women who had at least one sister with breast cancer but were themselves breast cancer-free when they joined the Sister Study were included. Some 7.4 percent were black, 4.2 percent were Hispanic, 88.6 percent were white and 2.5 percent were other races and ethnicities. There were 15,585 people who had undergone hysterectomies who were not included in the analysis.
Changes in menstrual bleeding, as well as painful urination and intercourse, are some of the early warning signs of uterus cancer. Overall survival rates are higher when detected early.
The mortality rate has been increasing over the last year, with even sharper spikes among Asian, Hispanic and Black women.
More women are being diagnosed at younger ages than in the past because they are still having children.
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