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Many people prefer to dye their hair to cover gray hair or to keep up with fashion trends. However, there is a theory that hair dyes are carcinogenic. Will it be true? Let’s see what researchers at Harvard Medical School have to say.
1. There is a link between hair dye and some types of cancer
In a study published in the British medical journal The BMJ, researchers from Harvard Medical School entered the data of 117,000 women surveyed into a survey, which they then followed for 36 years. During the research, 20,805 cases of solid carcinoma, 1,807 cases of hematological tumors, 22,560 cases of basal cell carcinoma, 2,792 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin were reported, of which 4,860 women surveyed died of cancer.
In fact, the studies only show that there is a correlation between the use of hair dye and an increased risk of some types of cancer, and do not clearly indicate a causal relationship between the two, and the vast majority of subjects were white women, so the results of the study could be taken for reference only. Although there is no definitive evidence that hair dye causes cancer, several studies show that excessive use of hair dye poses a risk of causing cancer. Compared to women who have never used hair dyes, the risk of breast cancer in women who have used them more than 200 times increases by 9%, the risk of ovarian cancer by 15%, that of basal cell cancer by 5% .
2. Other risks of hair dyeing
Although there is still no conclusive evidence that dyeing hair could lead to cancer, the results of many studies show that excessive use has a carcinogenic risk. Apart from this, hair dyes could also cause the following damages: allergy, heavy metal poisoning, damage to hair quality and liver.
Para-phenylenediamine in hair dyes could cause allergy manifested by skin redness, blistering and swelling of the skin.
Hair dyes contain mercury, lead and other heavy metals. There could be the problem of exceeding the standard of the amount of heavy metals in some non-quality hair dyes. Using these hair dyes could lead to heavy metal poisoning, threatening health.
Frequent hair dyeing will damage its quality, causing the hair to lose its luster, split, break easily, and look like dry grass.
Chemicals in hair dyes will enter the human body through hair follicles and skin which would cause damage to the liver. And the accumulation of damage could cause liver disease.
3. Tips for reducing the risks caused by hair dyeing
Dyeing your hair could cause damage to your health. If you pay attention to these points, the risks will decrease noticeably.
First of all, you need to choose hair dyes that meet quality standards. Second, read the product instructions carefully before dyeing your hair. It is recommended to wear disposable gloves in the dyeing process, avoiding skin contact with hair dye. If you have dandruff, avoid dyeing your hair. Third, please do the allergy test in advance, because hair dyes contain various chemicals. 48-72 hours before using the hair dye, dab diluted hair dye behind the ear or on the inside of the arm to see if any allergy symptoms appear. You can apply hair dye if you do not have an allergic reaction. Last but not least, avoid dyeing your hair frequently. Frequent hair dyeing will produce negative effects on hair quality and human health. It is recommended to dye your hair at least six months after the previous dyeing, that is, at most twice a year.
2023-09-07 11:58:35
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