Perms=cancer?

[yokoyokogirl]

Read an interesting article that straight perms contain formaldehyde which causes cancer. I'm not even sure if my Japanese straight perm has that chemical, but best believe I will be checking it next time. Just wondering what you ladies think about the subject.

 

[Sapphire_chic]

Formaldehyde causes cancer but I don't think relaxers and bkt etc contain high enough levels to prove any kind of correlation. There is formaldehyde in alot of everyday household cleaning agents too. You can run from chemicals but you can't hide lol
Basically if I still relaxed this article wouldn't scare me into stopping. (sorry did you mean perms or relaxers?)

 

[JJamiah]

I agree toothpaste has the same ingredient, so it is something that is in a lot of household items. I will continue to relax but I have limited the amount of household products that don't use less harmful chemicals I literally make my own cleansers out of baking soda, white vinegar, salt, Peppermint essential oils and water.

 

[Sapphire_chic]

^^ that's awesome, yea I have been thinking about getting some less chemically cleaners

 

[GraciousMystique]

Yes, I think with prolonged use it can cause cancer. The cosmetic industry is the least regulated industry.

Years ago, I was watching a scientist testify before congress and he tested the contents in an average relaxer. He said that relaxers contained cancer causing agents (may I emphasize agents) and he stating how dangerous relaxers are and how they should be removed from the market. I never heard from that scientist again, but that was all the warning I needed.

I've known numerous of stylists who have dealt with relaxers for 20 years+ have caught cancer. We don't know the side effects resulting from prolonged relaxer usage and I'm entirely sure we aren't fully aware of the contents.

They will not remove relaxers from the market despite knowledge of the potential harmful effect to human health, for two reasons:
1. The money.
2. Most of it's users are black

 

[Bachelorette]

Not one article provided proving anything

Big surprise.

 

[taz007]

My 76 year old mother has been getting relaxers since she was 13 years old. So, uhm, lets do some math ...

76 -13 = 63 years

63 years of relaxers and she is perfect health. AND she has the thickest head of hair that I have ever seen in person.

So, yes, I will continue to relax (with no reservation) until I want a change ...

 

[LittleLuxe]

My 76 year old mother has been getting relaxers since she was 13 years old. So, uhm, lets do some math ...

76 -13 = 63 years

63 years of relaxers and she is perfect health. AND she has the thickest head of hair that I have ever seen in person.

So, yes, I will continue to relax (with no reservation) until I want a change ...

This is exactly what I was about to say. I applaud the OP for bringing attention to something health-related because there's never anything wrong with that. However so much of what doctors and scientists say is uproven and unfounded, merely based on hypothesis and personal opinion.

I simply don't see any legitimate correlation considering 80% (or more) of black women would be dying with cancer if this was actually true, especially those who have been relaxed from an early age. Also harmful ingredients exist in everything, while it is advisable to avoid an excess I don't think the scientist has a leg to stand on by claiming perms (I'm assuming relaxers) are the only dangerous chemical process when there are so many things out there women of all textures and skin colors use.

Good looking out OP, but I don't quite buy it.

 

[dafnie]

The chemicals and relaxers probably can lead to cancer but there really haven't been any cases large enough to stir it all up... Almost everything that is processed out here has a chemical that can lead to cancer... when I seee an old women who has been getting relaxers for years get cancer because of her usage of relaxers... then I'll worry...

 

[Junebug D]

Everything causes cancer these days. Even breathing causes cancer. Just heard on the news recently that third-hand smoke may cause lung cancer.

 

[djkforeal]

Basically if I still relaxed this article wouldn't scare me into stopping. (sorry did you mean perms or relaxers?)[/QUOTE]

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference between a permanent and a relaxer. Aren't they both permanent?

 

[lovelexi]

these days they are saying that a lot of chemicals cause cancer. i mean even the conventionally grown food sprayed with pesticides and pumped with hormones are said to have cancer causing agents.

so without research i suspected that relaxers may have some cancer causing agents. am i going to stop relaxing?...probably not anytime soon. this kind of reminds me of the tobacco companies. i feel that in about 20 years or so relaxers will be a thing of the past and their will be truth commercials making the relaxed heads feel all bad about themselves.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

i think everyone is correct lol!
chemicals are chemicals (found anywhere & everywhere)
and yes most all chemicals can be "linked" to some form of "cancer"
problem? = accumulation, duration of exposure, strength of chemical, route....etc. etc.

 

[Crystalicequeen123]

They will not remove relaxers from the market despite knowledge of the potential harmful effect to human health, for two reasons:
1. The money.
2. Most of it's users are black

Wow...when I read this part in bold I got a chill down my spine.

It's sad, but you are so RIGHT. Most consumer and beauty supply companies don't care about black women! Let a chemical that is used primarily by white women be linked to cause cancer and I bet they would get that chemical off the market!

Everything causes cancer these days. Even breathing causes cancer. Just heard on the news recently that third-hand smoke may cause lung cancer.

Third-hand smoke?? lol....what the heck is third-hand smoke?

 

[halee_J]

I think the carcinogens present in relaxer are of special concern for hairstylists who are most likely to be exposed daily, for long periods of time.

 

[Sapphire_chic]

Basically if I still relaxed this article wouldn't scare me into stopping. (sorry did you mean perms or relaxers?)

Excuse my ignorance, but what is the difference between a permanent and a relaxer. Aren't they both permanent?

I thought a perm makes hair curly and a relaxer straight, I just thought the article may have been taling about a specific chemical process, excuse me if i'm mistaken

 

[Dommo]

I thought a perm makes hair curly and a relaxer straight, I just thought the article may have been taling about a specific chemical process, excuse me if i'm mistaken

You're right.

 

[DDTexlaxed]

In our day, anything can cause cancer. We have so much chemicals in our food, our earth is being polluted, and so is the water. A relaxer is the least of my worries.

 

[Kash]

In our day, anything can cause cancer. We have so much chemicals in our food, our earth is being polluted, and so is the water. A relaxer is the least of my worries.

yeah but i need food and water to sustain my life!

but no bw NEEDS a chemical relaxer in their hair to live!

 

[MarieB]

I think the OP was talking about thermal reconditioning/Japanese straightening; it's a similar process to BKT, but it is permanent.

 

[LaFemmeNaturelle]

I think the OP was talking about thermal reconditioning/Japanese straightening; it's a similar process to BKT, but it is permanent.

Thanks for clearing that up!

 

[*CherryPie*]

Not true.

BKT has formaldahyde in it. White people have been using this for many years........WAY before WE even heard if it.

Beauty supply companies are not picky with who they sell potentially dangerous products to. They'll take money from anybody, not just black people.

It's sad, but you are so RIGHT. Most consumer and beauty supply companies don't care about black women! Let a chemical that is used primarily by white women be linked to cause cancer and I bet they would get that chemical off the market.

 

[LittleLuxe]

Not true.

BKT has formaldahyde in it. White people have been using this for many years........WAY before WE even heard if it.

Beauty supply companies are not picky with who they sell potentially dangerous products to. They'll take money from anybody, not just black people.

Very true, I know we're often the victims of lack of concern but people really need to take these things within reason. White people were the primary users of cosmetics before black women and we all know how harmful the state of cosmetics (and really any product) was when it was being invented in the 40's and 50's. Specifically mascara's and hair dye...whoo. The pictures and horror stories I've read from those days, quite frightening. And I'm sorry but if a large percentage of black women were becoming victims to the deadly disease of cancer due to one specific source such as hair relaxers (or perms or the chemical straightening for japanese women someone mentioned) studies would be done and they would be pulled. I read not too long ago that studies were being done as to why black women are becoming shorter so...they're looking out for us sorta On a side note the BKT's are the ones (the ones originally done in Brazil with high doses of formaldehyde) I've heard horror stories about.

In our day, anything can cause cancer. We have so much chemicals in our food, our earth is being polluted, and so is the water. A relaxer is the least of my worries.

LOL, ain't that true. You try to avoid one source of something that they say will kill you and then they flip the switch. I still recall how they advised women to drink one glass of wine to help with heart disease and then later said that daily consumption of alcohol has been linked to breast cancer. Now THAT worries me

 

[Junebug D]

Third-hand smoke?? lol....what the heck is third-hand smoke?

Smoke that's lingering in carpets, in clothing, etc. Just the mere smell of it.

 

[yokoyokogirl]

Wow thanks for all of the replies ladies.

I should have specified. I'm talking about Japanese thermal reconditioning, or Japanese straight perms. I've never done the Brazilian hair treatment, and have heard it's a little dangerous.

But the article I read was in Women's Health mag (July/Aug 2010 issue p.42) and it just said "hair straightening".

 

[mg1979]

There are actually some people that call relaxers "perms". I do know that there are high incidents of certain cancers in hair stylists or cosmetologists, but its not specific to those who necessarily do black hair. So I would guess its their constant exposure to multiple chemicals that may increase their risk.

I think we are all exposed to so many different things that if we do develop a cancer in our lifetimes it can be very difficult to determine the specific cause.

 

[Gigi-07]

I'd be more concerned about the crap being put in the "food" that we eat on a daily basis, than a cream that stays exactly 15 min. on my head every 2-3 months.

 

[R2D2]

I'm a natural head but I remember seeing a study done on a possible link between cancer and AA women. The good news is that they didn't find a link:

Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention 2007 May;16(5):1035-7.
Hair relaxers not associated with breast cancer risk: evidence from the black women's health study.

Rosenberg L, Boggs DA, Adams-Campbell LL, Palmer JR.
Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts 02215, USA. [email protected]
Abstract

Hair relaxers (straighteners) have been used by millions of African American women, often for many years. Relaxer ingredients can enter the body through scalp lesions and burns. Because manufacturers are not required to list all ingredients, these products may contain unknown harmful substances. We assessed hair relaxer use in relation to breast cancer incidence in the Black Women's Health Study, a nationwide follow-up study of African American women. Information on hair relaxer use was collected in 1997; 48,167 women were followed subsequently through 2003 for incident breast cancer. Incidence rate ratios of breast cancer were estimated with Cox regression. During 266,298 person-years of follow-up, 574 incident cases of breast cancer were ascertained. There were no increases in breast cancer risk associated with any categories of duration of hair relaxer use, frequency of use, age at first use, number of burns experienced during use, or type of relaxer used. The incidence rate ratio for use at least seven times a year for 20 or more years relative to use for less than a year was 0.98 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-1.39). These results suggest that hair relaxer use does not increase the incidence of breast cancer in African American women.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17507635

 

[southerncitygirl]

i believe that chemicals for hair and hair products in general that are not natural have the potential to cause cancer. until someone does a study following women relaxing over a period of 20 yrs or more, i don't trust it, the gov't / fda is notorious for approving things saying they are not harmful because the proper research isn't conducted then yrs later they try to say they didn't know. its all about money!

 

[PearlyCurly]

..Sure relaxers can cause cancer...
Cell phones can cause cancer,
Water can cause cancer,
More then half of the food sold in markets can cause cancer,
Not getting pregnant can cause cancer,
Deoderant can cause cancer,
Hair dye can cause cancer,
Chocolate can also CAUSE cancer.

A LOT of things are said to be able to CAUSE cancer. But no one has SOLID proof that these things have actually caused cancer.
So just because you stop relaxing your hair so that you dont get cancer doesnt mean you will not get cancer from some thing else...so they say