The FDA is considering banning hair straighteners containing formaldehyde due to cancer-causing chemicals

The U.S. drug regulator said in a news release that the agency is considering a ban on formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing chemicals such as methylene glycol in straightening products. The chemical hair straighteners release human carcinogens and can cause “long-term adverse health effects.”

According to the report, frequent inhalation of formaldehyde can lead to several health problems. In the short term it can cause eye and throat irritation, coughing, wheezing or chest pain, and in the long term it can cause chronic problems such as frequent headaches, asthma and the risk of developing uterine cancer, which is also called called endometrial cancer.

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A National Institutes of Health study of 33,500 women in the US found that women who use straightening products often have more than twice the risk of developing uterine cancer than those who do not, and that it is also more difficult for them to become pregnant to become.

The survey also found that about 60% of participants who reported using hair straighteners in the past year were self-identified black women. Although rates of uterine cancer have risen among all women in recent years, the increase has been steepest among women of color, including Asian and Latina women.

In the letter to the FDA, two U.S. representatives — Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio — asked the agency to investigate the products because black women “could be disproportionately affected.”

Dangers of formaldehyde

“Chemical hair straighteners and relaxers are primarily marketed to black women to change the appearance of hair…,” Fox Business quoted the representatives as saying.

“Due to anti-black hair sentiment, black women have been unfairly subjected to scrutiny and forced to circumvent the extreme politicization of hair. Therefore, generations of black women have adapted by straightening hair in an effort to achieve social and economic advancement. Manufacturers of chemical hair straighteners have made huge profits, but recent findings reveal potentially significant negative health consequences associated with these products,” the representatives added.

Pressley applauded the FDA for advancing the proposed rule to ban the product by April 2024.

“The FDA’s proposal to ban these harmful chemicals in hair straighteners and relaxers is a victory for public health – especially the health of Black women who are disproportionately put at risk by these products due to systemic racism and anti-Black hair sentiment, Rep. Pressley was quoted as saying. “Regardless of how we wear our hair, we should be able to show up in the world without endangering our health,” she added.

It should be noted that the FDA always encourages consumers to read hair product labels before purchasing and using products that contain formaldehyde or related ingredients, including formalin or methylene glycol.

“If you purchase a hair softening product in a store or online, the product is required by law to include a list of ingredients,” the FDA guidelines state. “If a product does not have a list of ingredients, do not purchase that product.” the FDA added.

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Updated: Oct 18, 2023 7:01 PM IST