Hair Color Can Cause Cancer

Research studies are contradictory and inconclusive.

Hair color can cause cancer. Hair straightener and permanent dye products may be associated with a higher risk of breast cancer especially among black women. Hair products contain more than 5 000 chemicals according to researchers including those with mutagenic and endocrine disrupting properties such as aromatic amines which can raise cancer risk. And though the information regarding permanent color and straightening products looks ominous women can still color or straighten their hair.

National institutes of health nih and the national institute of environmental health sciences niehs showed a 60 percent increased risk of breast cancer among african american women who used permanent hair dyes every five to eight weeks or more compared to their non dying peers. There are a variety of products available to color aging hair. More than 33 percent of women over 18 and 10 percent of men over 40 use hair dye so the question of whether hair dye causes cancer is important.

New research found that hair dyes and chemical straighteners might significantly increase the risk of breast cancer. In the mid to late 1970s however manufacturers changed the components in dye products to eliminate some of these chemicals 2 3 5. The latest study on this subject from researchers at the u s.

I am glad that researchers are paying close attention to products that may or may not cause cancer. It is not known whether some of the chemicals still used in hair dyes can cause cancer. The better informed consumers become the wiser our choices.

Semi permanent colors do penetrate and stain the cuticle lasting up to six to 10 shampoos. Some doctors advise women to avoid having their hair dyed during pregnancy or at least until after the first trimester. Early hair dye formulations contained chemicals including aromatic amines that were found to cause cancer in animals.

Hair dyes can also actually cause hair loss in some people. Not enough is known about hair dye use during pregnancy to know for sure if this is a problem but doctors often recommend this just to be safe. A recent study made headlines for its scary findings.