According to the findings of a recent investigation carried out by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a correlation exists between the use of chemical hair-straightening products and an increased chance of developing uterine cancer.
The research, which was released on Monday, looked at 33,947 women of various racial backgrounds who ranged in age from 35 to 74 and was followed for an average of nearly 11 years. Uterine carcinoma was diagnosed in 378 of the study’s participants.
It’s possible that the link is due to the fact that hair straighteners include chemicals known to affect hormones in the endocrine system. There is some evidence that fragrances, parabens, and phthalates may interfere with the ability of the endocrine system to control hormones.
Studies done in the past have found a correlation between endocrine disrupters and increased chances of breast and ovarian cancer.
After taking into account women’s individual levels of risk, the recently published study came to the conclusion that women who were using chemical straightening items more than four times in the past year had a 2.5 times increased risk of developing uterine cancer. This was after taking into account women’s levels of risk associated with other individual risk factors. However, it is necessary to put this knowledge into perspective in order to fully understand it. Uterine cancer is a form of cancer that occurs only in a small percentage of women.
In addition, the researchers discovered that a lower frequency of using hair straighteners in the preceding year was connected with a larger likelihood of developing uterine cancer. However, the difference did not meet the criteria for statistical significance, which indicates that it could have been the result of random chance.
Researchers from the NIEHS came to the conclusion that despite the fact that there was no correlation between the race of the user and the chance of developing uterine cancer, Black women may be at a greater risk. These results may be even more significant for Black women than they are for women of other races and ethnicities since Black women utilize such products more frequently and typically begin use at younger ages than women of other ethnic groups and races.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most frequent type of gynecologic cancer in the United States is uterine cancer. Although it is quite uncommon, it occurs more frequently than cervical cancer and ovarian cancer combined.
