a form of self-expression.
“The bottom line is that the exposure burden appears higher among Black women,” Jackson says.
“Based off of the body of the literature in this area, we know that hair products marketed directly to Black children and women have been shown to contain multiple chemicals associated with disrupting hormones, and these products marketed to Black women have also been shown to have harsher chemical formulations,” she adds. “On top of that, we know that Black women tend to use multiple products simultaneously, which could contribute to Black women on average having higher concentrations of these hormone-disrupting chemicals in their system.”
RELATED: Breast Cancer Survivor Sheds Light On Toxic Chemicals in Beauty Products
Which products should you steer clear of?
The researchers did not collect information on the brands or ingredients in the hair products the women used, however, there are several chemicals identified in straighteners that could contribute to the increased incidence of uterine cancer observed in the study.
“To our knowledge this is the first epidemiologic study that examined the relationship between straightener use and uterine cancer,” Alexandra White, head of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author on the study, said in a news release Monday.
“More research is needed to confirm these findings in different populations, to determine if hair products contribute to health disparities in uterine cancer, and to identify the specific chemicals that may be increasing the risk of cancers in women.”
Although more research needs to be done, you can start by taking matters into your own hands. Start by taking a closer look at some of the haircare products on your shelf. Do any of them contain parabens and phthalates? Do they have fragrance chemicals? Many of these ingredients have been linked to cancer, birth defects, hormone disruption, and other chronic health problems so it is wise to choose products that are free of these ingredients.