October 18, 2022 — Women who use chemical hair-straightening products may be more likely to develop uterine cancer, according to new research from the National Institutes of Health.
Women who use hair straighteners more than four times a year are more likely to develop uterine cancer, According to the study. More specifically, the researchers found that women who used individual or relaxation products more than four times per year were more likely to develop uterine cancer than those who did not use these products.
Dr. Alexandra White, the study’s lead author, said that about 1.64% of women who do not use chemical hair-straightening products will develop uterine cancer by the age of 70. But for frequent users of these products, this risk rises to 4.05%.
“This doubling rate is worrying,” she said. But, she noted, “it’s important to put this information in context,” because “uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer.”
Previous research has linked the use of hair products, such as hair dye, to an increased risk of other hormone-sensitive cancers such as breast cancer. But the researchers believe this is the first analysis that examined the use of hair straighteners in relation to uterine cancer.
the study Examination of hair product use and incidence of uterine cancer over an 11-year period among 33,947 women aged 35–70 years. The analysis adjusted for variables such as age, race, and risk factors.
Uterine cancer is the ninth most common type of cancer in the United States, according to National Cancer Institute, with more than 65,000 new cases diagnosed annually. More than 12,000 deaths from uterine cancer each year.
The study found that the use of hair straighteners was more common among women with reduced physical activity and among African American women.
“Because black women use hair straighteners or straighteners more frequently and tend to start using them at an earlier age than other races and ethnicities, these findings may be more relevant to them,” said Che-Jung Chang, PhD, one of the study’s authors. , in the current situation.
The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Internal Research Program and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute on Monday.
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