Frequent Use Of Lye-Based Hair Relaxers Linked To A Higher Risk Of Breast Cancer – 25-Year-Long Study Suggest
Kimberly Bertrand, Boston University
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.
The big idea
Frequent and long-term use of lye-based hair straightening products, or relaxers, may increase the risk of breast cancer among Black women, compared with more moderate use.
Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study followed 59,000 self-identified African American women for over 25 years, sending questionnaires every two years on new diagnoses and factors that might influence their health.
Using these data in our own study, my team of epidemiologists and I found that Black women who used hair products containing lye at least seven times a year for 15 or more years had an approximately 30% increased risk of estrogen receptor positive breast cancer compared with more i...