An extensive study, the results of which were published on Monday, found that hair straightening and straightening products may significantly increase the risk of uterine cancer among women and girls who use them frequently, according to the newspaper.The Guardian“.
These results came after a study conducted under the supervision of the National Institutes of Health in the United States, which included about 33,000 women in all US states over a period of more than ten years.
According to the study results, the incidence of endometrial cancer was more than 4% for women who used hair-straightening products four or more times a year, compared to 1.64 percent for those who did not use these products.
The Archyde.com news agency indicated that the women who were subjected to that study ranged in age between 35 and 74 years and were monitored for about 11 years.
During the study period, 378 cases of endometrial cancer were discovered, as the results showed that females who used hair products were more likely to develop this type of cancer by 155%.
The results also showed that about 60% of the female users of hair-straightening products were dark-skinned, who are characterized by curly hair, and therefore they are the group most at risk of developing uterine cancer.
The head of the research team, Alexandra White, cautioned that the study’s findings are alarming, adding: “Their research is the first of its kind that examines the relationship between the use of hair straighteners and uterine cancer.”
Although endometrial cancer is uncommon in the United States, as it constitutes 3 percent of cancer types that affect women, there are fears of an outbreak after its rates have risen in recent years, especially among dark-skinned women.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology previously reported that about 81% of uterine cancer patients live for at least five years after diagnosis, but that percentage drops to 63 percent in females of African descent.