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A recent study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found women who frequently used chemical hair relaxers to straighten their hair had a 4% higher risk for uterine cancer.”There’s just a lot of misapplication. A lot of time with relaxers, the goal is to get the hair as straight as possible,” said Latoya Rose.Rose has spent the last 14 years specializing in caring for and styling natural hair for Black women.”What they teach in cosmetology school, it’s not really a lot of education around textured hair. It’s like, if your hair is really textured, it needs to be straight,” she said.The study tracked 33,497 women ranging in ages 35-74. During the nearly 11-year-study, researchers said 378 uterine cancer cases were diagnosed.But is there a specific ingredient in hair relaxers linking to uterine cancers, or is it the product in totality?In a statement, Alexandra White, the lead author of the paper, said, “Straighteners, in particular, have been found to include chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, cyclosiloxanes and metals and may release formaldehyde, which is a carcinogenic gas, when heated.”Black women are some of the highest consumers of relaxers.Rose said it’s important to remember that having a healthy body leads to a healthy mane.”You want to find a stylist that actually subscribes to healthy hair care and that includes application and using good quality products, and not someone who’s just going to give you a style,” she said.White also said researchers have observed that permanent hair dye was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, particularly for Black women.In a separate study by Johns Hopkins University, researchers found hairdressers of color are suspected to have more chemical exposures than stylists of other demographics.In the Hopkins study, urine samples from Black and Hispanic hairdressers in the United States were tested and compared to samples from women of color working in office jobs.Researchers said they found more chemical exposure in the hairstylist.Rose hopes more women will embrace their natural texture no matter the coil, curl or wave pattern.”There’s so much oppression around our hair,” she said.
A recent study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences found women who frequently used chemical hair relaxers to straighten their hair had a 4% higher risk for uterine cancer.
“There’s just a lot of misapplication. A lot of time with relaxers, the goal is to get the hair as straight as possible,” said Latoya Rose.
Rose has spent the last 14 years specializing in caring for and styling natural hair for Black women.
“What they teach in cosmetology school, it’s not really a lot of education around textured hair. It’s like, if your hair is really textured, it needs to be straight,” she said.
The study tracked 33,497 women ranging in ages 35-74. During the nearly 11-year-study, researchers said 378 uterine cancer cases were diagnosed.
But is there a specific ingredient in hair relaxers linking to uterine cancers, or is it the product in totality?
In a statement, Alexandra White, the lead author of the paper, said, “Straighteners, in particular, have been found to include chemicals such as phthalates, parabens, cyclosiloxanes and metals and may release formaldehyde, which is a carcinogenic gas, when heated.”
Black women are some of the highest consumers of relaxers.
Rose said it’s important to remember that having a healthy body leads to a healthy mane.
“You want to find a stylist that actually subscribes to healthy hair care and that includes application and using good quality products, and not someone who’s just going to give you a style,” she said.
White also said researchers have observed that permanent hair dye was associated with a higher risk of breast cancer, particularly for Black women.
In a separate study by Johns Hopkins University, researchers found hairdressers of color are suspected to have more chemical exposures than stylists of other demographics.
In the Hopkins study, urine samples from Black and Hispanic hairdressers in the United States were tested and compared to samples from women of color working in office jobs.
Researchers said they found more chemical exposure in the hairstylist.
Rose hopes more women will embrace their natural texture no matter the coil, curl or wave pattern.
“There’s so much oppression around our hair,” she said.
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