Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stated: Considering issuance of proposed regulations Ban hair irons that use formaldehyde.
Formaldehyde is a chemical and known carcinogen that has been shown to cause an increased risk of endometrial cancer when used in chemical curling irons often marketed to black women.
However, it is not just a straight iron. Numerous products aimed at black women, including perms, hair relaxers, lotions, and gels, have been found to increase diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and health risks during pregnancy. Experts say this has been happening for years.
In Western culture, straight, long hair has been considered the traditional beauty standard, but hair with tight curls or coiled textures has not.
“Black communities have a history of hair and hair care, some of which stems from issues of racism and discrimination in the way women wear their hair in places like offices and schools, and what is considered professional hairstyles. Kimberly Bertrand, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Boston University School of Medicine, Chobanian Avedisyan Medical College told ABC News.
“So there are a lot of reasons why women have used chemical hair relaxers, both historically and today. They all stem from social pressure to have their hair look smooth and smooth in some way.” she continued. “Some women find it easier to manage when their hair is relaxed. Of course, there are personal styles, fads, trends and how people like to wear their hair. ”
Research shows that many of these products contain chemicals such as phthalates. known to be an endocrine disruptorwhich means they mimic, block, or interfere with hormones in the body.
according to A Harvard University Professor50% of hair products advertised to black women contain chemicals from this group, while only about 7% of products advertised to white women contain the same chemicals .
Exposure to phthalates has been associated with: obesity, Diabetes and premature birthhas also been associated with uterine fibroids. Uterine cancer.
Dr. Jasmine MacDonald, assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School, said, “Some of the things we’ve observed with permanent relaxers are that they’re associated with several different types of cancer, including breast cancer, uterine cancer, and ovarian cancer. It is the relevance of School of Public Health told ABC News.
“We have also seen that the chemicals in these products are associated with uterine fibroids and fertility, a condition that is caused by many hormones. Because it is a disrupting chemical,” she said. she said.
MacDonald performed study We looked at the use of these products in early childhood and found that it was associated with earlier age at menstruation, which in turn increased the risk of breast cancer.
Meanwhile, Bertrand is a researcher on the long-term Black Women’s Health Study. found Postmenopausal black women who used chemical hair relaxers for more than 5 years or more than 5 times a year were more likely to have uterine cancer compared to black women who never used these relaxers or used them less frequently. increased the risk of developing the disease by almost 50%.
McDonald said some of the damage could be reversed if users switched products. Phthalates, for example, are chemicals that are excreted very quickly, so small changes can make a difference.
“The great thing about this is that there are intervention studies that have shown that removing that product and replacing it with a cleaner product reduces exposure to chemicals of concern associated with chronic disease. Yes,” she said.
Both experts say if the FDA decides to ban formaldehyde, it would be an important first step, but it should also be extended to more chemicals.
However, the agency is still in the early stages of the regulatory process and the notice only indicates that it may consider the proposal in the future.
“The fact of the matter is, it’s a type of chemical, and we’re exposed to a lot of chemicals, not just formaldehyde,” McDonald said. “So I think this is a very important ban. But it’s just one step and it doesn’t cover all the other chemicals of concern.”
