A new study has shown there may be a possible link between hair dye and breast cancer in Black women, but more research is needed. The finding from the study were made covered in a recent article in the New York Times.
According to the Times summary of the study, “Black women who regularly used permanent dyes to color their hair were 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer, compared to Black women who did not report using dye.”
The results were not the same for white women, though researchers are unclear about the reason for the disparity.
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Published in “The International Journal of Cancer,” the findings are not completely conclusive.
“You cannot, based on these data, make the statement that hair dyes and straighteners cause breast cancer,” Dr. Larry Norton told NYT. Norton is the medical director of the Evelyn H. Lauder Breast Center at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York.
However, they are still cause for concern.
“Our advice is that if you want to take a cautionary approach, limiting the use of these types of products is warranted,” said research scientist Robin Dodson.
Hair straighteners were also shown to be linked to higher cancer risks in all women, but Black women use hair straighteners more than white women.
