As the world of beauty evolves, there are significant dangers and health problems. We are becoming exposed to health dangers as more and more quick-fix hair products and tools are developed. Recent research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests that women who use chemical hair straightening products may have an increased chance of developing uterine cancer.
While some women use hair straighteners and blow dryers on a daily basis, many find that hair treatments are necessary once a month. Women go above and beyond to seem attractive and professional, but are these methods healthy?
In a recent study, it was shown that women who used hair-straightening products more than four times in the preceding year had a greater than twofold increased risk of developing uterine cancer.
The use of some hair products, such as hair straighteners and dyes, has been linked to malignancies that are susceptible to hormones, such as breast and ovarian cancer. This is the first investigation into how the goods could influence the risk of uterine cancer.
At the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center in Columbus, researcher Dr. Ashley Felix focuses on uterine cancer and healthcare inequities.
“Although no prior study has specifically evaluated the relationship between hair-straightener use and uterine cancer, these findings parallel other analyses that examine the association between hair straightener use and risk of breast and ovarian cancers, providing biological plausibility.”
Although the brands and contents of the hair products the women use were not gathered by the researchers, some chemicals that have been linked to uterine cancer risk (such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde) have been detected in straighteners.
Additionally, it is thought that chemical exposure from hair products, especially straighteners, may be more dangerous than from other personal care items due to greater scalp absorption, which may be made worse by the burns and lesions that straighteners induce.
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