Is there a relationship between hair coloring and breast cancer?

Hair coloring and chemical smoothing have become commonplace for many women, but new research shows that these activities can increase the risk of breast cancer. Here's what the researchers found

Is there a relationship between hair coloring and breast cancer?

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A new study published in the International Journal of Cancer says there may be a link between hair coloring and chemical breakdowns for increased risk of breast cancer.

Hair dyes have previously been linked to other cancers, although the studies are inconclusive. Bladder cancer and blood, for example, have been tested, and the results of the study indicated a small increase in the risk of bladder cancer among hairdressers. Meanwhile, most of the studies conducted did not find a direct relationship between hair color and breast cancer.

The image remains dull even when it comes to smoothing hair. A large study that used data from the mid-1990s found no link between skater and breast cancer, other, more recent studies have found, and the researchers behind the new study note that some chemical smoothing formulas published since the 1990s, such as keratin, contain the cancer substance Formaldehyde or release it during the smoothing process.

The Israeli development that examines what the cosmetic products contain

The new study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Institute of Environmental Health, tracked 46,700 American women enrolled in a study that recruited women whose sisters were diagnosed with breast cancer. At the time of enrollment in the study, women’s age ranged from 35-74. They answered questions about their health, lifestyle (including the use of hair products) and demographics at baseline and provided researchers with updates during the follow-up period, followed by an average of eight years.

More than half of women reported using hair dye in the year before they joined the study, and about 10 percent said they used chemical skirts. These women, researchers found, were more likely to be among the nearly 2,800 study participants who eventually contracted breast cancer - especially if they had a dark complexion.

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Overall, hair color use was associated with a 9 percent higher risk of developing breast cancer, compared to the lack of such color. However, black women who used regular dyes were 45 percent more likely to have breast cancer compared to non-users, and those who used these products every eight weeks or more often were 60 percent more likely. Black women were also more likely to report using chemical skaters - 74 percent compared to 3 percent of white women - who were associated with an 18 percent higher risk of breast cancer in the study population as a whole.

Dangerous action? Asha dyes her hair (Photo: shutterstock)

Hair coloring (Photo: ShutterStock)

The researchers say there are two reasons for this: the first is that there can be differences in chemical composition when smoothing and coloring are done on thick hair, and in addition, such hair may absorb more color. Although more research is needed, researchers say it's important that doctors know about the differences, especially since black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than white women, and because most previous studies on the health effects of hair color have been on white women.

The study was well designed, but it could not isolate any factor affecting cancer risk. For example, people tend to get cancer when they grow older - and age-related graying hair may also increase the use of hair color.

Materials that are easily absorbed into the scalp

Hair color contains more than 5,000 different compounds and the formulas are constantly changing. Most hair dyes contain chemicals, some of them highly toxic to the human body - such as nitrobenzene and aniline, for example. These chemicals are easily absorbed into the scalp and thus enter the body causing damage.

When it comes to breast cancer, researchers say the evidence suggests the presence of aromatic amines, colorless chemicals that have been shown to bind to breast tissue DNA and can lead to cancer-related DNA damage. Hair washing, for example, was not associated with an increased risk of breast cancer in the study, as they contain less aromatic amines, making them safer than regular colors.

Although it is important to be aware of the risks involved in using different cosmetics, research makes it clear that it is premature to throw all hair dye in the trash, as the study has followed a relatively small group of women who have developed cancer, and the disease is almost never caused by just one factor.