Home / Health / Toxic Hair Products: Black Women at Risk
Toxic Hair Products: Black Women at Risk
26 Feb
Summary
- Synthetic hair extensions and relaxers may contain carcinogens.
- Legislation proposed to mandate warning labels on toxic hair products.
- Studies link relaxer use to increased breast and uterine cancer risks.
Synthetic hair extensions and hair relaxers, products deeply rooted in Black culture and extensively marketed to Black women, are now under scrutiny for containing toxic chemicals, including formaldehyde. These products are largely unregulated, prompting legislative action.
State Representatives Regina English and Junie Joseph have introduced the Hair Product Transparency and Safety Act. This bill proposes mandatory warning labels on synthetic hair and relaxers if they are found to contain carcinogens or reproductive toxins. Non-compliance could result in daily fines of $10,000.
Research, including a 2022 study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, has linked regular use of hair relaxers to a 156% increased risk of uterine cancer and a 30% increased risk of breast cancer. These findings are particularly concerning given that Black women already experience disproportionately higher rates of these cancers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has been slow to regulate these cosmetic products, with a commitment to potentially ban formaldehyde in hair straighteners made in 2022 still under development four years later. Advocates emphasize the right for consumers to be aware of the potential health risks associated with the products they use.
