One study that examined over 34,000 American women nationwide for more than 10 years discovered that women who use chemical hair straighteners often may have a greater risk of getting uterine cancer than women who have never used them.
Uterine cancer is on the rise in women of all races, but this study did not prove the connection between the use of hair straighteners and the development of the disease, as per a report from The New York Times.
Black Women Pose Higher Risk
The chance of acquiring uterine cancer by age 70 was 1.64 percent among women who had never used hair straighteners, whereas it was 4.05 percent among women who used straighteners often, according to the study.
Uterine cancer is uncommon overall, yet it strikes Black women at a greater incidence than women of other races, per data from the National Cancer Institute. While the elevated risk was observed among women of all races and ethnicities, it may be most severe among Black women. Participants who reported using hair straighteners were more likely to identify as Black women (60%).
Additionally, Black women are subjected to similar cultural pressures about their hair. From elementary to high school to the armed forces of the United States, natural hair, braids, and other hairstyles historically worn by Black women (and men) have been banned.
According to research published in 2017, per NPR, there may be a widespread unconscious bias toward people with textured hair. Unfortunately, discrimination based on a person's hair is still allowed in many jurisdictions despite a bill passed by the White House earlier this year to outlaw such practices.
Che Jung Chang, who is among the study authors, remarked that the findings may be significant for Black women, who more often use hair straighteners or relaxers and tend to start using such products at earlier ages compared to women of other races.
In March, an expert panel reported that while uterine cancer rates have been increasing among all women in the United States, they are twice as high among Black women. This disparity is among the greatest of its kind for any type of cancer that has been studied.
Read Also : James Webb Telescope Images: NASA Captures Stunning View of 'Pillars of Creation' Where Stars Are Born
More Studies Needed
The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Environment and Cancer Epidemiology Group Leader and New Study Author Alexandra White said that the research was the first epidemiologic one to investigate the possible connection between regular straightener usage and uterine cancer.
"More research is needed to confirm these findings in different populations, to determine if hair products contribute to health disparities in uterine cancer, and to identify the specific chemicals that may be increasing the risk of cancers in women," she said, as per a news release from the National Institutes of Health.
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health epidemiologist Tamarra James-Todd, who was not involved in the new study but has conducted other research on hair products-cancer connection, said that some of the substances found in hair-straightening products, especially those most used and marketed to Black and Latina women, contain hormone-disrupting chemicals.
She said that the chemicals alter the body's natural hormonal functions, which may have further effects on the body. Hence, the expert noted that "it makes sense" to examine "hormonally mediated" cancers, according to a CNN report.
Related Article : Lab-Developed COVID-19 Strain Found More Lethal With 80% Kill Rate; Draws Government Scrutiny
