Perms=cancer?

[Kindheart]

doesnt methilparaben cause cancer in high dosage too ?I mean anything could cause cancer ,my thing is ,wouldnt you want to MINIMIZE the chances of getting it?its like saying im gonna keep eating unhealthy processed food,not excercise ,smoke and drink cuz i m gonna die anyway and ANYTHING could cause cancer ...my great grandad smoked cigs without filter up to when he was 90 and died at 92 but does that mean thats gonna happen to everyone who smokes ?Nope.Even Stress could cause cancer ,my mom s cusin died of a tumor caused by stress hormones .
With all the crap we re exposed to ,shouldnt we try to eliminate all those things that could harm us and are not necessary for us ?

PS:I m not only talking about perms.

 

[UrbainChic]

A few things to know about scientific studies:
1)Correlation does not equal causation.
2)No one lives in a vaccuum, so a perfect control that could give you a definitive "XYZ CAUSES cancer" is extremely unlikely, and that kind of statement is usually made by journalists looking for a good headlinenot scientists who do the research.

All of these things that "cause" cancer, do not cause or guarantee cancer from their usage. You cansmoke everyday for 80 years an never get lung cancer, but smoking increases the probability of lung cancer. I cannot guarantee anyone that smokes that they will or will not get cancer.

On the same token. You can never touch a cigarette in your life, and get lung cancer.

All these hazardous things are things that have been found to *increase* your probability either by a little or a lot. Also like I said, as we dont live in a vaccuum, you have to add up the probability of ALL the products and substances you have been exposed to in your entire life with your probability based on genetics and/or lifestyle to get a more absolute probability which is in the end still just a probability

This doesn't mean science is making things up, or inaccurate.

PS. Re: the alcohol study, ie the wine is good for you vs correlated with breast cancer--- a certain amount of wine (one small glass-- not more not less) benefits the vascular system, when taken daily and a certain amount of alcohol taken in sporadically (think 3-4 drinks on a friday night at the bar instead of one glass of wine with dinner) causes elevated estrogen levels which is linked to ONE KIND of breast cancer ( yes there are many kinds). Does not mean drinking wine will make you healthy or that drinking will give you cancer.

No offense to any journalists out there, but the way scientific data is presented in society really leads to a lot of mistrust and misunderstanding of the process and what we know and don't know about our risks/lifestyles. I am guilty of it in casual speech as well ( xyz causes cancer) but I think this board is full of very smart and educated women, who are absolutely right to question data, but should also understand how this kind of information comes about, in order to make the best decisions for themeselves.

 

[JJamiah]

I just wanted to add Radon causes cancer as well, and that is in ground under your basement and outside and in the air we breath, if you have too much of this gas seeping through your floors then your a strong candidate for cancer. As well as all of the things you guys have mentioned.

Just I never even heard of Radon until about 6 years ago!

 

[Amber_moon]

Theres more formaldehyde in the clothing you wear than in a BKT. If youve ever bought something from the store, and worn it before you put it through the wash... you just slipped into a heaping helping of formaldehyde.

I dont know if you ladies remember this but about 10-12 years ago, before Express became a part of (and then left Limited co.) all their stores used to reek of this very strange scent and if you bought their clothes without washing them you could smell it for days. That smell was formaldehyde.

 

[JFK]

I just wanted to add Radon causes cancer as well, and that is in ground under your basement and outside and in the air we breath, if you have too much of this gas seeping through your floors then your a strong candidate for cancer. As well as all of the things you guys have mentioned.

Just I never even heard of Radon until about 6 years ago!

WOOOOOOW!

I researched Radon after reading your post and I was shocked at how common it is in the US AND the death rate!

Here's a link to Radon information http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFV-ryhEq8I

I'm going to get a kit asap God willing.

Thanks so much JJamiah!

 

[JJamiah]

Definitely get a kit, you have to keep all doors closed, and windows, so you can get an accurate reading. The reading is said to be higher in the winter due to low ventilation. I got it done when buying my house and was crying (people don't laugh) I was like I don't want to die, I just wanted a house. My reading was a 3.4 which is not toooo tooo bad, or good, but I was/am still worried. Thanks for the Link JFK

 

[JJamiah]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lgx3jO2HYI&feature=related

here is another great link

 

[JJamiah]

Also another note, I will be getting a mitigation system next year!

 

[nikolite]

I don't think just because there are carcinogens coming from multiple sources (cleansers, certain foods, smoke, new clothing, etc.) means one should throw their hands up and ignore it all. Sure any one source may not be too harmful alone, but IN CONJUNCTION, they can accumulate and cause problems in the future. Why not limit what you can?

I agree with UrbainChic, but if you put these probabilities together, they all form an even higher probability. Scientists only have lab studies, projections and correlations about mostly everything and that's all they ever will have (they are humans, not all-knowing gods, that's the nature of science). They technically can't even prove that cigarettes cause lung cancer since there are always the people who smoked for 40 years and never developed it.

Black women have a host of mysterious health problems (like fibroids). I think it makes sense to consider all the various possible reasons for that (poverty, culture/lifestyle, black hair care products, etc.). I have a theory that old, spoiled, or inferior foods and products are purposely placed in the grocery stores in black areas. You can see that just taking a visit to the same grocery chain in a poor black area then in a middle/upper class white one. I'm sure our hair care aisles are not immune.

If more black people considered and evaluated the state of black hair care products and practices with a critical eye, maybe we'd be able to develop better products that actually work for us, we'd be more in charge of their production, we'd gain more of our own profits, invest in more scientific exploration of our hair care, and so on. Maybe their would actually be the natural or less chemical relaxers that we now think cannot exist.

 

[divachyk]

I've been lurking in the post and was gonna keep quiet but here goes -- my DH was diagnosed with cancer at age 32. Praises go up to the most HIGH that he's now healed but he has natural hair, never drank or smoke and was in great health otherwise prior to diagnosis. So, to me, cancer and carcinogens are everywhere and quite unavoidable for some.

 

[Misshairdiva]

Nikoliteyou make some great points about Black hair care products. I was appualled when I watched the movie Good Hair and one hair rep said that Revlon was buying up all the Black owned hair care companies. Now, THAT IS SCARY!! There are only 4 Black owned major hair care companies left. SCARY! I think that we need to look more at what we are putting on our skin and hair and care because they dont care about us. Its all about the dolla dolla bill. Look at Carols Daughter for instance. When she first started she was 100% all natural. Now, if you google the chemicals in her products they are LOADED with carcingens! Big money got involved and it became more of how to make a dollar then about the health of her people which is very sad.
Ok.. stepping down now.. this is just my two cents!

 

[nikolite]

I've been lurking in the post and was gonna keep quiet but here goes -- my DH was diagnosed with cancer at age 32. Praises go up to the most HIGH that he's now healed but he has natural hair, never drank or smoke and was in great health otherwise prior to diagnosis. So, to me, cancer and carcinogens are everywhere and quite unavoidable for some.

Another part of the formula is genetics. While carcinogens do what they do, a person's genetics also help dictate their resistance or vulnerability to certain cancers and diseases. As does their lifestyle/nutrition. All these things work together along with common carcinogens, chemicals and even organic substances that are around us (some that are probably very harmful but we just haven't discovered it yet). That's why outcomes vary from person to person, but there are still correlations between A and B in large subsets of a population that clue us in on possible contributors.

 

[nikolite]

Nikoliteyou make some great points about Black hair care products. I was appualled when I watched the movie Good Hair and one hair rep said that Revlon was buying up all the Black owned hair care companies. Now, THAT IS SCARY!! There are only 4 Black owned major hair care companies left. SCARY! I think that we need to look more at what we are putting on our skin and hair and care because they dont care about us. Its all about the dolla dolla bill. Look at Carols Daughter for instance. When she first started she was 100% all natural. Now, if you google the chemicals in her products they are LOADED with carcingens! Big money got involved and it became more of how to make a dollar then about the health of her people which is very sad.
Ok.. stepping down now.. this is just my two cents!

I wasn't crazy about the movie overall, but there was some really good info there. What surprised me was the demonstration of dipping the aluminum soda can into lye. It ate through a soda can in 4 hrs! There's gotta be something better than that to use and I find it hard to believe that there aren't any negative effects to that being placed (even in small quantities) on our bodies. But with like 99.9% of the companies and suppliers of black hair products manufactured and distributed by whites and Koreans, I'm not shocked that nobody's discovered something better yet!

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

I don't think just because there are carcinogens coming from multiple sources (cleansers, certain foods, smoke, new clothing, etc.) means one should throw their hands up and ignore it all. Sure any one source may not be too harmful alone, but IN CONJUNCTION, they can accumulate and cause problems in the future. Why not limit what you can?

I agree with UrbainChic, but if you put these probabilities together, they all form an even higher probability. Scientists only have lab studies, projections and correlations about mostly everything and that's all they ever will have (they are humans, not all-knowing gods, that's the nature of science). They technically can't even prove that cigarettes cause lung cancer since there are always the people who smoked for 40 years and never developed it.

Black women have a host of mysterious health problems (like fibroids). I think it makes sense to consider all the various possible reasons for that (poverty, culture/lifestyle, black hair care products, etc.). I have a theory that old, spoiled, or inferior foods and products are purposely placed in the grocery stores in black areas. You can see that just taking a visit to the same grocery chain in a poor black area then in a middle/upper class white one. I'm sure our hair care aisles are not immune.

If more black people considered and evaluated the state of black hair care products and practices with a critical eye, maybe we'd be able to develop better products that actually work for us, we'd be more in charge of their production, we'd gain more of our own profits, invest in more scientific exploration of our hair care, and so on. Maybe their would actually be the natural or less chemical relaxers that we now think cannot exist.

Nikolite you sound soooooooooooo much like my dad perhaps you're related (maybe.. ) both of you guys are very intelligent
I'd love to hear your feelings/theory on the the hurricane katrina aftermath & why the levees broke .... my dad's are

your siggy is the best

 

[nikolite]

Nikolite you sound soooooooooooo much like my dad perhaps you're related (maybe.. ) both of you guys are very intelligent
I'd love to hear your feels/theory on the the hurricane katrina aftermath & why the levees broke .... my dad's are

your siggy is the best

Thanks, ya never know! And whew, don't bring up Katrina--yeah I've got some theories about that too, but I'll save it for the Politics forum.

 

[tHENATuRALhAiRpRoJEcT]

Thanks, ya never know! And whew, don't bring up Katrina--yeah I've got some theories about that too, but I'll save it for the Politics forum.

I'LL SEARCH THERE

 

[LittleLuxe]

A few things to know about scientific studies:
1)Correlation does not equal causation.
2)No one lives in a vaccuum, so a perfect control that could give you a definitive "XYZ CAUSES cancer" is extremely unlikely, and that kind of statement is usually made by journalists looking for a good headlinenot scientists who do the research.

All of these things that "cause" cancer, do not cause or guarantee cancer from their usage. You cansmoke everyday for 80 years an never get lung cancer, but smoking increases the probability of lung cancer. I cannot guarantee anyone that smokes that they will or will not get cancer.

On the same token. You can never touch a cigarette in your life, and get lung cancer.

All these hazardous things are things that have been found to *increase* your probability either by a little or a lot. Also like I said, as we dont live in a vaccuum, you have to add up the probability of ALL the products and substances you have been exposed to in your entire life with your probability based on genetics and/or lifestyle to get a more absolute probability which is in the end still just a probability

This doesn't mean science is making things up, or inaccurate.

PS. Re: the alcohol study, ie the wine is good for you vs correlated with breast cancer--- a certain amount of wine (one small glass-- not more not less) benefits the vascular system, when taken daily and a certain amount of alcohol taken in sporadically (think 3-4 drinks on a friday night at the bar instead of one glass of wine with dinner) causes elevated estrogen levels which is linked to ONE KIND of breast cancer ( yes there are many kinds). Does not mean drinking wine will make you healthy or that drinking will give you cancer.

No offense to any journalists out there, but the way scientific data is presented in society really leads to a lot of mistrust and misunderstanding of the process and what we know and don't know about our risks/lifestyles. I am guilty of it in casual speech as well ( xyz causes cancer) but I think this board is full of very smart and educated women, who are absolutely right to question data, but should also understand how this kind of information comes about, in order to make the best decisions for themeselves.

Very good point and I also wanted to thank you JJamiah for bringing up Radon, a lot of the dangers we have to face are in our very home.

You are right about the way scientific studies are presented and the way the media also uses those studies to create a headline typically ignoring or swaying facts. Which is what I believe is missing from this particular declaration (though the OP did clarify that she meant thermal straightening), anything can be harmful in excess and if something is loaded with carcinogens then there should be some clarification there about what is harmful, who is most at risk, what one can do to prevent and how serious the risk is rather than simply tossing out the attention catching 'cancer'.

For instance are hair-stylists and women who apply relaxers more at risk? Why? Because of inhalation of chemicals or skin contact? Is their risk lowered by wearing gloves or working in a well ventilated room? How much contact with the product would pose a risk?

This has been done with cigarettes which is why I put more validity in those studies. They have examined the risk, studied how the risk and probability lessens or grows depending on contact (such as second-hand smoke and not allowing people to smoke near entrances or in bars). Studied what will increase your probability, etc.

I don't think people are ignoring the dangers out there they would simply like to see a little more hard evidence before doing anything drastic. Like many others have said these chemicals are in practically EVERYTHING. Since we can't walk around naked, hide in our homes (which...thanks to Radon still wouldn't save us, lol), eat nothing but food grown in our backyard and breath only purified air we simply have to assess the risk/reward of personal decisions and see where those adult decisions take us. It's much like the risk of getting hit by a car everytime you leave your house. You take steps to protect yourself but realize you can not totally limit your risk and simply do what's reasonable. Hopefully that works out.

 

[DaDragonPrincess]

im still alive
​