WEBVTT - Can Hair Dyes and Straighteners Cause Cancer?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff production of iHeart Radio. Hey brain Stuff,

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<v Speaker 1>Lauren Bogelbaum. Here, With all the unknowns that exist around

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<v Speaker 1>breast cancer and most cancers for that matter, it's generally

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<v Speaker 1>safe to say that the disease doesn't result from any

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<v Speaker 1>single behavior, food, habit, or action. A complex combination of

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<v Speaker 1>genetic and environmental factors contributes to the development of breast

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<v Speaker 1>cancer in certain individuals, and scientists continue to seek out

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<v Speaker 1>answers around which factors could be controlled, monitored, or even eliminated. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>a study from researchers at the National Institutes of Health

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<v Speaker 1>or NIH suggests that permanent hair dye maybe one of

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<v Speaker 1>those factors that increases the risk of breast cancer and

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<v Speaker 1>should receive further examination. The study, published online in December

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<v Speaker 1>of twenty nineteen and the International Journal of Cancer, details

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<v Speaker 1>how scientists at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences,

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<v Speaker 1>part of the ni H, discovered that regular use of

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<v Speaker 1>permanent hair dye was to an overall nine increase in

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<v Speaker 1>breast cancer risk. The statistics were especially significant in African

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<v Speaker 1>American women. Those who used permanent dies every five to

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<v Speaker 1>eight weeks or more frequently had a sixty higher risk

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<v Speaker 1>of breast cancer compared with white women, who had an

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<v Speaker 1>eight percent increased risk. Semi permanent and temporary dies didn't

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<v Speaker 1>seem to have this effect. Neither was found to increase

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<v Speaker 1>risk of breast cancer. For the NIH study, researchers used

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<v Speaker 1>data from forty six thousand, seven hundred and nine women

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<v Speaker 1>who participated in the Sister Study, which included more than

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<v Speaker 1>fifty thou women across the United States in Puerto Rico

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<v Speaker 1>from two thousand three to two thousand nine. The participants

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<v Speaker 1>of the Sister Study were all between the ages of

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<v Speaker 1>thirty five and seventy four, and each had a sister

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<v Speaker 1>who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The idea is

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<v Speaker 1>that because sisters typically share the same environment, genes, and experiences,

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<v Speaker 1>researchers may stand a better chance at pinpointing risk factors

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<v Speaker 1>and developing effective can through prevention strategies. But permanent hair

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<v Speaker 1>dye was only part of the equation. Researchers also found

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<v Speaker 1>that chemical hair straighteners were associated with an increased risk

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<v Speaker 1>of breast cancer. The data showed that women who used

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<v Speaker 1>hair straighteners every five to eight weeks or more frequently

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<v Speaker 1>were about more likely to develop breast cancer. Straighteners were

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<v Speaker 1>used much more frequently among the African American participants, but

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<v Speaker 1>the association between the product and increased breast cancer risk

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<v Speaker 1>was similar in both African American and white women. So

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<v Speaker 1>does this mean permanent hair dye and chemical hair straighteners

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<v Speaker 1>should be strictly banned from regular use. Researchers aren't sure.

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<v Speaker 1>Human bodies are complicated, and further investigation is necessary to

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<v Speaker 1>replicate the results and hopefully explain what caused those results.

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<v Speaker 1>In the meantime, keep in mind that cancers usually can't

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<v Speaker 1>be explained by the involvement of any single factor. In

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<v Speaker 1>other words, don't panic, but anyone concerned about their breast

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<v Speaker 1>cancer risk may want to reevaluate their cosmetic routines. Today's

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<v Speaker 1>episode was written by Michelle Konstantinovski and produced by Tyler Clang.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radio's How

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Works. For more in this and lots of other

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<v Speaker 1>health related topics, visit our home planet, how stuff Works

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