Researchers find that women who use hair dye and chemical straighteners have an increased risk of developing breast cancer.
The study, published December 4, from the National Institute of Health finds that women who used permanent hair dye regularly are 9% more likely than women who don't use it to develop breast cancer.
Using data from over 46,000 women in the Sister Study, the study also found that African American women who regularly dye their hair every five to eight weeks have a 60% increased risk of breast cancer, and white women, the increased risk is 8%.
"Researchers have been studying the possible link between hair dye and cancer for a long time, but results have been inconsistent," said corresponding author Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology Group. "In our study, we see a higher breast cancer risk associated with hair dye use, and the effect is stronger in African American women, particularly those who are frequent users. "
Dr. Susan Love is a prominent advocate of preventive breast cancer research tells KNX that an individual's actual risk depends on many factors. Using chemical hair straighteners increased the breast cancer risk by 30 percent for all women studied.
When asked if women should stop dyeing or straightening their hair, co-author Dale Sandler, Ph.D., chief of the NIEHS Epidemiology Branch said, "We are exposed to many things that could potentially contribute to breast cancer, and it is unlikely that any single factor explains a woman's risk. While it is too early to make a firm recommendation, avoiding these chemicals might be one more thing women can do to reduce their risk of breast cancer."
