There is no link between permanent hair dye and cancer: a study

Thursday, September 03, 2020 (Health Day News)-Some of the chemicals in permanent hair dyes are considered potentially carcinogenic, but millions of people Hair is colored.

So is your home’s hair color safe?

According to a new study, the answer is yes.

After tracking cancer risk in more than 117,000 American women for 36 years, researchers found that personal use of permanent hair dye was Absent It is associated with an increased risk of developing bladder cancer, brain cancer, colon cancer, kidney cancer, lung cancer, blood cancer, or immune system cancer. Also, these pigments were not associated with an increase in most skin or breast cancers.

“We did not find a positive association between individual permanent hair dye use and the risk of most cancers or cancer-related deaths.”-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston.

However, the use of permanent dyes has been associated with a slight increased risk of basal cell (skin) cancer, ovarian cancer, and some forms of breast cancer.

In addition, an increased risk of Hodgkin lymphoma was observed, but only among women whose hair was naturally dark. The team said the reasons remained unclear, but speculated that the darker dyes may have higher concentrations of the problematic chemicals.

Findings published online September 2nd BMJ..

The research team noted that 50% to 80% of American and European women over the age of 40 have colored hair. One in ten men will do the same.

According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), hair dyes are regulated as cosmetics by the US Food and Drug Administration. However, the FDA imposes many safety burdens on manufacturers.

Research accounts for approximately 80% of all dyes used in the United States and Europe, and even higher in Asia.

why? “When using a permanent hair dye, the color change lasts until the hair is replaced by a new permanent dye, which is much longer than a semi-permanent hair dye, [which] Last for 5-10 washes, or temporary dyes, [which last] Wash 1-2 times,” said Zhang.

problem? Permanent hair dyes are the “most aggressive” type on the market and “the one that has posed the greatest potential concern about cancer risk,” Zhang said.

According to ACS, concerns are centered around ingredients in hair dyes such as aromatic amines, phenols, and hydrogen peroxide.

Earlier studies have shown signs of trouble, with some (but not all) ingredients finding links between dye use and blood and breast cancer.

Nonetheless, ACS notes that studies investigating the association of such pigments with cancer risk have produced mixed results. Hair dye research can also be a moving goal, as hair dyes contain a variety of ingredients and the composition of those ingredients can change over time. ..

For example, ACS experts pointed out in a study conducted in the 1970s that some types of aromatic amines appeared to cause cancer in animal studies. As a result, some dye makers have removed amines from their dye recipes.

The latest survey focuses on American women enrolled in the ongoing Nurse Health Survey. At the beginning of the study, all were cancer-free and reported whether they had ever used permanent hair dye.

Zhang’s team concluded that the use of dye did not appear to significantly increase the risk of most cancers. However, investigators emphasized that their studies were purely observative and did not clearly establish that such dyes either did or did not cause cancer risk.

“The current evidence for the carcinogenicity of personal use of permanent hair dyes is inconclusive,” said Chan, adding that “further investigation is needed.”

So what should a woman do?

“There is no specific medical advice for current or previous hair dye users,” ACS said.

However, Zhang suggested that consumers carefully follow the instructions-“Use gloves, track time, [and] After use, rinse your scalp thoroughly with water. -Mitigate potential risks.

For more information

For hair dyes and cancer risks, American Cancer Society..