The use of hair straightening products can significantly increase the risk of uterine cancer in women who use them frequently, a major new U.S. scientific study has concluded, making such a link for the first time.

Researchers led by Dr. Alexandra White of the U.S. National Institute for Environmental Security (NIEHS), who published the corresponding publication in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, according to Reuters and The New York Times, analyzed data on almost 34,000 women aged 35 to 74 years for approximately 11 years, during which 378 were diagnosed with uterine cancer.

It found that women who used hair straighteners more than four times in the previous year were about two and a half times more likely to develop this cancer. Less frequent use of such products was associated with only a slightly increased risk of cancer.

“We calculated that by age 70, 1.64% of women who never used hair straighteners developed uterine cancer, but that rose to 4.05% for those who used them frequently. However, it is important to consider that this type of cancer is relatively rare,” White said.

Previous research has shown that hair straighteners contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals. In the past, these foods have also been associated with an increased risk of breast, ovarian, and other hormone-dependent cancers.

“Our results represent the first epidemiological evidence of an association between the use of straightening products and uterine cancer. Further studies are needed to identify the specific chemicals responsible for this relationship,” the researchers said. Substances such as parabens, bisphenol A, certain metals, and formaldehyde found in hair straighteners may increase the risk of cancer.

However, hair products such as dyes or perms do not increase the risk of uterine cancer. This gynecological cancer has generally shown an increasing trend in recent years, especially in its most aggressive form.

About 66,000 new cases of uterine cancer are expected in 2022, representing 3.4% of all new cancers in the country this year, according to the US National Cancer Institute. This cancer is also projected to account for about 12,550 deaths, or 2.1% of all cancer deaths in the US in 2022. According to scientists, African American women are proportionately more likely to use hair straightening products and are therefore at greater risk.

Source: RES – OIE