Research Results
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2022
Environ Res
This case-only study included 2,998 women with breast cancer from the Women’s Circle of Health Study and examined how characteristics of hair dye and hair relaxer use were related to tumor features. Compared with women who only used salon-applied permanent hair dye, those using home dye kits or both salon and home dye had higher odds of having poorly differentiated (more aggressive) tumors, especially among Black women (for Black women: home kits OR 2.22, 95% CI: 1.21–5.00; combination use OR 2.46, 95% CI: 1.21–5.00) and among women with ER-positive tumors (combination use OR 2.98, 95% CI: 1.62–5.49). Combination use of hair relaxers was also associated with larger tumors (>2.0 cm vs <1.0 cm; OR 1.82, 95% CI: 1.23–2.69). Although some associations did not remain statistically significant after strict multiple-comparison correction, the overall pattern suggests that frequent, mixed use of hair dyes and relaxers may be linked to more aggressive breast tumor characteristics.
2021
Cancer Epi
This study of nearly 48,000 women found that frequent use of chemical hair straighteners and perms during adolescence (ages 10-13) was associated with more than double the risk of premenopausal breast cancer, though no increased risk was seen for postmenopausal breast cancer. Black women who used permanent hair dye during adolescence had a 77% increased breast cancer risk, though permanent dye use was uncommon overall in the study population. The findings are particularly concerning because adolescence is a critical developmental window when breast tissue may be more vulnerable to chemical exposures, and these hair products contain hormonally active and potentially carcinogenic compounds that may have long-lasting effects on breast cancer risk decades later.
2024
Int J Env Res Pub Health
This study surveyed 746 Kenyan women about their hair product use and found that nearly 60% had used chemical relaxers and one-third had used hair dyes, despite many expressing concerns about health risks including breast cancer. Older women and those working in sales and service industries were more likely to use these products, which may contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals linked to breast cancer. Surprisingly, women’s awareness of potential health risks did not consistently lead to reduced use of these products, suggesting that concern alone may not be enough to change behavior. These findings are particularly important for Kenya, where breast cancer rates are rising, and highlight the need for better education about chemical exposures in hair products and strategies to reduce potentially harmful exposures.
2018
Maturitas
A Spanish population-based case-control study of 1,006 breast cancer cases and 1,370 controls found that high total meat intake was associated with a 39% increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, with processed/cured meat showing a 47% increased risk overall and a striking 152% increased risk specifically for triple-negative breast cancers. Cooking methods and doneness preferences significantly modified risk: well-done red meat was associated with 62% increased risk and stewed red meat with 49% increased risk (particularly for hormone receptor-positive tumors), while pan-fried or breaded white meat showed 38% increased overall risk and 78% increased risk in premenopausal women. These findings suggest that breast cancer risk could be reduced not only by limiting meat consumption—especially processed meats—but also by modifying cooking practices to avoid well-done or high-temperature cooking methods that generate carcinogenic compounds like heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
2016
Cancer Med
A review examining breast cancer disparities in African American women—who now have similar incidence rates to non-Hispanic White women but significantly higher mortality—found growing evidence linking hair product use to breast cancer risk through exposure to estrogen-like chemicals and endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). The review identified three converging lines of evidence: environmental estrogen and EDC exposures increase breast cancer risk, these chemicals are present in personal care products including hair products, and certain hair products used disproportionately by African American women may contribute to elevated breast cancer risk in this population. The findings highlight an understudied environmental justice issue and call for additional research using community-collaborative approaches to better understand how culturally specific beauty practices may contribute to health disparities, representing what researchers term the potential “cost of beauty.”