Many hair straightening products, also known as hair relaxers or hair pressing products, still today contain several toxins and carcinogens, including endocrine-disrupting, mutagenic, and geno-toxic chemicals, such as formaldehyde, formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, oxidized paraphenylenediamine, and 4-aminobiphenyl.
Studies have shown that the use of these products significantly increases the risk for:
- Uterine cancer
- Endometrial Cancer
- Ovarian Cancer
The increased risk is most strongly associated with women who have used hair straightening products for more that 5 years, and/or more than 4 times a year.
For more information on a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) read here. “We estimated that 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine cancer by the age of 70; but for frequent users, that risk goes up to 4.05%,” said Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author on the new study. “This doubling rate is concerning. However, it is important to put this information into context – uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.”
If you or a loved one were diagnosed with uterine, endometrial, or ovarian cancer after prolonged and frequent use of hair straightener products, please schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys today.
