Women who use chemical hair straighteners and relaxers could be twice as likely to develop uterine cancer, according to a new study involving nearly 34,000 women.
Need a Texas Uterine Cancer Lawyer? Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged. If you or a loved one was diagnosed with uterine cancer after using chemical hair-straightening products, you should contact our lawyers immediately. You may be entitled to compensation by filing a lawsuit.
Hair Straightening May Increase Your Risk of Uterine Cancer
In October 2022, researchers warned about a possible risk of uterine cancer for women who use chemical hair-straighteners or relaxers.
The study’s conclusions “could be more consequential for black women,” the researchers said, because over 60% of women in the study who used hair straighteners were black.
What Is The Risk?
In a study based on data from nearly 34,000 women, about 4% of women who used chemical hair straighteners at least 4 times per year were diagnosed with uterine cancer, which was double the 1.6% rate for women who did not use chemical hair straighteners.
The study was published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in October 2022 — “Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer”
What is Hair Straightening?
Women who naturally have curly or wavy hair sometimes use chemical hair-straightening treatments to make their hair silky-smooth and straight.
How Does It Work?
The treatment is a three-step process that begins when a stylist applies a chemical to the hair, which breaks down the natural proteins. Then, the stylist uses a hot flat iron to make the hair straight. Finally, the stylist uses a neutralizer to re-bond the hair and harden it.
Toxic Chemicals in Hair Straightening Products
Chemical hair straighteners and relaxers contain different ingredients depending on the product, with some being more toxic than others. The products might contain formaldehyde, sodium hydroxide, parabens, phthalates, ammonium thioglycolate, and many others.
What is the Problem?
Some of these chemicals (like formaldehyde) are known to be carcinogenic or hormone-disrupting, which could explain why they are linked to uterine cancer and other reproductive side effects.
Other Types of Cancer Linked to Hair Straightening
The same team of researchers who found a link between hair-straightening chemicals and uterine cancer also published previous studies linking the chemicals to breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
How Do Chemicals Get Into My Body?
The researchers also looked at other hair treatments, such as hair dyes, but they did not find an increased risk of cancer. The researchers theorized that chemical hair-straightening could be more risky than other hair treatments because the chemicals commonly cause burns and abrasions to the skin, which could provide a pathway for the chemicals to be absorbed into the body.
What is Uterine Cancer?
Uterine cancer occurs when cells start growing uncontrollably in the uterus (also called the “womb”), which is an organ in a woman’s pelvis. Around 90% of uterine cancers are endometrial cancer, which means that the cancer starts in the inner lining of the uterus.
Deaths from uterine cancer are rising in the U.S., and the highest risk is for non-Hispanic black women, according to a study led by researchers at the National Cancer Institute.
Symptoms of Uterine Cancer
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding or spotting
- Vaginal bleeding in between periods, bleeding after menopause, unusually heavy bleeding
- Pain or pressure in the pelvis
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Pain during urination or bowel movements
- Unexplained weight loss
- Lack of appetite
Need a Uterine Cancer Lawyer in Texas?
Collen A. Clark is a true advocate for his clients and is passionate about helping Texans that have been injured or wronged.
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