A proposed rule from the United States Food and Drug Administration might result in prohibitions on several chemical hair-smoothing and straightening treatments related to cancer.
The FDA has proposed a rule that would prohibit the use of formaldehyde and other formaldehyde-releasing compounds in hair-smoothing and straightening products sold in the United States.
According to the FDA, the usage of such compounds has been linked to long-term health risks, including an increased risk of cancer. According to the EPA, they can also create short-term health hazards such as hypersensitivity reactions and breathing issues. (inboundrem.com)
Before an FDA proposal may become an official rule, the agency solicits public feedback and then may “decide to end the rulemaking process, to issue a new proposed rule, or to issue a final rule,” the agency’s site says.
Congressional push to Investigate the link between chemical hair straighteners and cancer
A study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2019 connected the use of hair dye and chemical straighteners to an increased risk of breast cancer in women in the United States.
The link was further cemented in 2022 when the National Institutes of Health published research finding that women who used hair-straightening chemicals had a greater risk of uterine cancer and that Black women were more likely to be affected due to increased consumption.
In addition, there has been a Congressional push to investigate the link between chemical straighteners and cancer. Reps. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) and Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) submitted a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf in March 2023, requesting that the agency open an investigation into the situation.
“We urge the FDA to investigate the potential health threat posed by chemical hair straightening products,” the letter reads. “Consumers need to be reassured that the cosmetic products they use do not threaten their health. The agency must act quickly to address these legitimate concerns.”
In a news release following the FDA’s proposed new rule, Pressley called it “a win for public health — especially the health of Black women who are disproportionately put at risk by these products as a result of systemic racism and anti-Black hair sentiment,”
