Hair-Straightening Products Ban? Chemicals Cause Cancer: FDA

October 16, 2023

in Health

Reading Time: 4 mins read

Supply: The Washington Submit / Getty

The U.S. Meals and Drug Administration has introduced plans to suggest a ban on sure hair-straightening merchandise. This contains merchandise like chemical relaxers and urgent merchandise which were linked to severe well being dangers which can be particularly marketed to and affect girls of shade. The information was reported on Friday in an entry within the Unified Agenda by the Workplace of Data and Regulatory Affairs, which is a part of the Workplace of Administration and Price range in addition to the Govt Workplace of the President.

In response to the entry, the company plans to “particularly ban hair-straightening merchandise that comprise formaldehyde and different formaldehyde-releasing chemical compounds like methylene or glycol,” which scientists have linked to an elevated threat of ovarian, breast, and uterine most cancers, particularly amongst Black and Latina girls.

“Primarily based on the feedback, we’d resolve to finish the rulemaking course of, to problem a brand new proposed rule, or to problem a last rule. If we resolve to problem a last rule, we publish the ultimate rule within the Federal Register,” the FDA defined on its web site.

This new proposal comes after Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Massachusetts, and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, initially inspired the company to conduct a “thorough and clear investigation” into hair straightening merchandise and their hyperlinks to uterine most cancers. After listening to the information of the potential rule, Pressley expressed her satisfaction with the proposal, calling the proposal a “win for public well being” and particularly a win for “the well being of Black girls” who’re most frequently put in danger by these merchandise because of “systemic racism and anti-Black hair sentiment.”

She continued by explaining that [Black women] needs to be allowed to indicate up with out “placing our well being in danger,” whereas applauding the FDA for responding to her requires consciousness.

Though the proposed rule was introduced on Friday, the potential ban gained’t be fast because the FDA’s rulemaking course of can take a few years to finalize. Nonetheless, whatever the prolonged course of, many consider that the proposal is a step in the precise path within the prevention of cancer-causing merchandise being marketed to Black and Latina girls within the title of magnificence.

Final yr, lawsuits had been filed towards L’Oreal USA Inc. and different makers of hair straightening merchandise after a examine launched by the U.S. authorities linked the usage of their merchandise to uterine most cancers.

Within the examine, which was launched on Oct. 17, 2022, researchers discovered that girls who reported frequent use of hair straightening merchandise, outlined as greater than 4 occasions within the earlier yr, had been greater than twice as prone to go on to develop uterine most cancers in comparison with those that didn’t use the merchandise.

“We estimated that 1.64% of girls who by no means used hair straighteners would go on to develop uterine most cancers by the age of 70; however for frequent customers, that threat goes as much as 4.05%,” mentioned Alexandra White, Ph.D., head of the NIEHS Atmosphere and Most cancers Epidemiology group and lead creator on the brand new examine. “This doubling price is regarding. Nonetheless, it is very important put this data into context – uterine most cancers is a comparatively uncommon kind of most cancers.”

Though uncommon, different research have discovered that charges of uterine most cancers have been rising in the USA, significantly amongst Black girls.