Is there a connection between hair dye use and cancer?

Author: Davor Kust, MD PhD

A study published in late 2019 found that women who used permanent hair dyes and straightening products had an increased risk of developing breast cancer compared to women who did not use them.

This topic has been controversial before, and previous studies have yielded conflicting results, so no definitive conclusion could be drawn. This new study, conducted by the US National Institutes of Health, involved over 46,000 women. The study included women who were cancer-free at the start of the study but had a family history of breast cancer (a sister). According to the results, women who regularly used permanent hair dyes had a 9% higher risk of developing breast cancer, while those who used semi-permanent or short-term products did not have a significantly increased risk. The risk was particularly high among black women, who had a 45% increased risk when using permanent hair dyes, compared to white women, who had a 7% increase in risk. The authors believe that this is due to differences in marketing, that is, different racial groups use different product ranges. In black women, the risk increased further the more often the woman used the products in question.

An increased risk of breast cancer was also found in people who used chemical hair straighteners, and these were again primarily black women.

What is the conclusion? The study definitely found a connection between the use of permanent hair dyes in a large number of subjects, but this does not prove that such products cause breast cancer. Additional further research is needed. We still do not have a clear answer to the question of whether permanent hair dyes can actually lead to cancer, because there are a whole range of risk factors for breast cancer and it is impossible to rule out the influence of other factors in this type of research. Read more about other risk factors for breast cancer. Until we get complete information, it may not be a bad idea to avoid such products.

You can find the full article at the link.