FDA proposes ban on hair- straightening merchandise linked to most cancers
A proposed ruling filed from the U.S. Meals and Drug Administration might imply bans on some chemical hair-smoothing and straightening merchandise which were linked to most cancers.
The FDA has proposed a rule banning formaldehyde and different formaldehyde-releasing chemical substances from being utilized in hair-smoothing and straightening merchandise bought within the U.S.
Using such chemical substances has been linked to long-term well being considerations, together with an elevated threat of most cancers, in response to the FDA. They’ll additionally trigger short-term well being dangers, together with sensitization reactions and respiratory issues, the company says.
Earlier than an FDA proposal can develop into an official rule, the company takes feedback from the general public after which could “resolve to finish the rulemaking course of, to problem a brand new proposed rule, or to problem a ultimate rule,” the company’s web site says.
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How have hair-smoothing and straightening merchandise been linked to most cancers?
A 2019 research printed within the Worldwide Journal of Most cancers linked hair dye and chemical straightener use to a threat of breast most cancers in ladies within the U.S.
The hyperlink was additional solidified in 2022, when the Nationwide Institutes of Well being printed a research that discovered ladies who used hair-straightening chemical substances had been related to the next uterine most cancers threat, and that Black ladies could also be extra affected attributable to the next use.
There has additionally been Congressional strain to look into the hyperlink between chemical straighteners and most cancers. In March 2023, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Massachusetts) and Rep. Shontel Brown (D-Ohio) wrote a letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf asking the company conduct an investigation into the matter.
“We urge the FDA to research the potential well being risk posed by chemical hair straightening merchandise,” the letter reads. “Customers must be reassured that the beauty merchandise they use don’t threaten their well being. It’s crucial that the company act shortly to handle these reputable considerations.”
In a information launch following the FDA’s proposed new rule, Pressley known as it “a win for public well being — particularly the well being of Black ladies who’re disproportionately put in danger by these merchandise because of systemic racism and anti-Black hair sentiment,”
