Increased Uterine Cancer Risk with Hair Relaxers

According to new research, older Black women who use chemical hair relaxers are more likely to get uterine cancer.
Specifically, postmenopausal Black women who reported using hair relaxers more than twice a year or for more than five years had more than a 50% greater chance of being diagnosed with uterine cancer compared to women who rarely or never used relaxers.

“Black women have higher rates of aggressive uterine cancer and are nearly twice as likely to die from their disease,” said study author Kimberly Bertrand, an associate professor at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. “Black women also tend to be underrepresented in research and may be experiencing unique exposures such as the use of chemical hair relaxers, which are heavily marketed to and used by Black women to straighten their natural hair.”

The exact mechanism by which chemical relaxants raise the risk of uterine cancer is unknown, although experts do have some suggestions.

“These products are only loosely regulated and are known to contain potentially harmful ingredients including chemicals known as endocrine disruptors, which can be absorbed,” Bertrand said. “Research has linked these chemicals to a wide range of women’s reproductive health outcomes, and animal data and laboratory evidence suggest this is a plausible association.”

Because the study did not collect information on the brands of hair relaxers or products used by the women, researchers are unable to identify any specific chemicals associated to the disease.
The researchers surveyed almost 45,000 Black Women’s Health Study participants about their usage of chemical hair relaxers in the study. None of them had a history of cancer.
The women were watched over for up to 22 years. The researchers compared uterine cancer rates among women who used hair relaxers frequently or long-term to rates among women who never or seldom used them.

The study discovered that older postmenopausal women who used hair relaxers frequently had a greater risk of uterine cancer. These findings remained even after the researchers adjusted for other known risk factors for uterine cancer, such as obesity, use of hormone replacement treatment, family history, and smoking.

“The results will continue to raise awareness of the potential toxic effects of chemical hair relaxers and help us think about ways to reduce risk and exposure,” Bertrand said.

Her advice?

“If you are at high risk for uterine cancer due to obesity or family history, you should be more concerned about external exposure that can further increase your risk such as use of chemical relaxers,” she advised.

Bertrand noted Black women have historically faced discrimination because of their natural hairstyles, but this may be changing.
The CROWN Act, approved by the United States House of Representatives last year, forbids racial discrimination based on hair texture and style. It has yet to be approved by the United States Senate, where Republicans opposed it last year.
According to the CROWN Coalition, twenty-three states already have CROWN legislation in place. CROWN is an acronym that stands for Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair.

“The CROWN Act could represent an important step toward reducing racial disparities in uterine cancer,” Bertrand said.

The findings, according to hair experts who were not involved in the study, add to a growing list of risks connected with the usage of chemical relaxers.

This study is really important because we still have so many people of African descent that continue to use relaxers,” said Dr. Meena Singh, a dermatologist in Shawnee, Kan.

Relaxers can cause hair damage, making it more fragile, she claims. Hormone-disrupting substances found in relaxants have also been linked to early puberty.

“The harms don’t just extend to hair, and now, this study suggests there may be an increased risk of uterine cancer as well,” Singh said.

Dr. Sumayah Jamal, director of the Skin of Color Clinic at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City, said this research will change how she counsels Black women about the use of chemical hair relaxers.

“In light of these findings, I would caution against the use of chemical hair relaxers and counsel the adoption of natural hairstyles or safer alternatives to hair straighteners,” Jamal said.

Calling the data “compelling,” Dr. Amy McMichael stressed that more research is needed before making any definitive conclusions on the risk of uterine cancer among women who use hair relaxers. She is a professor of dermatology at Wake Forest School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C.

She noted that the study didn’t say whether the chemical relaxers were used at home or in a salon.

“This could be important since home use may increase the risk of irregular application of the product and/or inadequate scalp protection during application,” McMichael said.

Other factors such as genetic predisposition toward the cancer may also be at play, she said.

“For now, it certainly makes sense to discuss these findings with those patients who are questioning the safety of chemical relaxers,” McMichael said.

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