When Hair Dye is Literally to Die For

The world of beauty can be a very toxic place. Green News Guide has always been invested in warning the masses about the dangers inherent in every day beauty products. Hair coloring is an activity and skill that stylists engage in on a regular basis. From at home drugstore coloring kits to dyes to bleaching, human beings never realized that there is a price to pay when seeking to color their hair.

Not the first Study to Find Link between Cancer and Hair Dye

Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Environment and Cancer Epidemiology Group conducted a ground breaking study that had close to 50,000 participants. The study made it’s rounds over the past week when outlets reported on the study’s findings. However, Researchers, (White et al., 2019) weren’t the first to report about the link between cancer and hair dye. Researchers as far back as the early 2000s have confirmed links between bladder cancer and hair dye. According to a study completed in 2001 by Dr. Manuela Gago Dominguez, both the consumer and the hairstylist applying them were found to be at risk. Women who dyed their hair once a month for one year or more were found to have double the risk of receiving bladder cancer. Other earlier studies even found a connection between black hair dye and non Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

The properties of hair dye are cancer causing. Some contain ingredients such as coal tar, ammonia, resorcinol, P Phenylenediamine and hydrogen peroxide. P-Phenylenediamine, a coal tar color, is a restricted ingredient in Europe but it is still allowed in hair dye in the USA and does not need approval by the FDA. Many of the ingredients found in hair dye are endocrine disruptors, respiratory irritants and also cause birth defects.

Breast Cancer and Hair Dye

The study most recently published in the International Journal of Cancer found that women increased their risk of getting breast cancer by a whopping 60%. The differences in the risks also varied by race and this is what essentially made the study unique. For white women dying their hair consistently (1x every 5-8 weeks), the risk increased by 8%. In black women, that risk increased by as much as 60%. Though the study results do not equal causation, the connections from all of these studies over the past decade are astounding enough that regulation must finally be initiated by overseeing bodies such as the FDA.

To Dye or Not to Die

There are safer alternatives to coloring hair. The conscious consumer shouldn’t be made to feel that they must risk their health in order to achieve the styles and looks that they desire. It’s better to become a conscious consumer and prioritize your health when making the decision to color your hair. For starters, you’ll want to make sure the dyes are free of the ingredients named above. My “Detox My Life” consult is conclusive and will allow you to become informed about the toxins all around you. It is available for purchase here.

References

University Of Southern California. (2002, April 10). Genetic Connection In Link Between Permanent Hair Dye Use And Bladder Cancer Risk. ScienceDaily.

Eberle, C. E., Sandler, D. P., Taylor, K. W., & White, A. J. (2019). Hair dye and chemical straightener use and breast cancer risk in a large US population of black and white women. International Journal of Cancer.