A new study has found that chemical hair straightening and straightening products may increase the risk of multiple types of cancer by 166%.
The study was conducted by researchers from Emory University in Georgia in the United States, and its results were published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on September 30, and the British newspaper “Daily Mail” wrote about it.
The presence of the carcinogen formaldehyde in chemical hair straightening treatments, such as keratin treatments and hair styling materials, raises concerns among experts.
In an attempt to determine the long-term health effects of this chemical, researchers from Emory University in Georgia analyzed data from a long-term health study that included more than 50,000 American women.
The study included participants between the ages of 35 and 74 who had no personal history of breast cancer, but had at least one sister who had been diagnosed with the disease.
Enrollment in the study took place between 2003 and 2009, and participants were followed until September 2021.
A significant increase in the risk of cancer
The study focused on types of cancer in which at least 100 cases were recorded during the follow-up period, and examined whether participants had used chemical hair straightening and straightening treatments during the 12 months before they joined the study.
The use of these products has been associated with a significant increase in the risk of cancer, and women who used chemical hair straightening and straightening treatments were 166% more likely to develop pancreatic cancer, which is considered one of the most serious forms of the disease due to its lack of a specific screening test, which makes early detection difficult.
Women who used chemical hair straightening and straightening treatments were more likely to develop thyroid cancer by 71%, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma by 62%. The risk increased most among women who used the products more than four times a year.
This study adds to a growing body of evidence raising concerns about the long-term health effects of chemical hair treatments, especially among the groups who use them the most.
The European Union and at least ten US states have banned the use of formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing substances in personal care products.