Women often obsess about the current beauty standards and let them dictate their hairstyle choices. While it is fine to check what’s trending, one must always know what works for them best. Take, for example, chemically treated hairstyles – almost every woman is opting for them because the magazine covers celebrate straight hair.
Based on social beauty norms, most women get their curls straightened by spending several dollars and hours at the parlor. It makes their hair straight, but only for a short while. To keep the curls away, women need to chemically straighten their hair after specific intervals. Most women don’t know that it can cause cancer.
Women who are in the habit of chemically treating their hair are also at risk of alopecia, infertility, early menarche, and even fibroids. Hence, it seems wise to say yes to your natural curls, which open the gate to chronic ailments.
Hair Straightening Led to PCOS and Kidney Stones
There has been an ongoing dialogue about the dangers of chemical straighteners on women’s health. The National Institutes of Health in 2022 had published a study on this subject. It stated that hair relaxers and straighteners can increase the risk of uterine cancer. It’s because these harsh products have endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Hence, it’s not surprising that the number of hair straightener cancer lawsuits increased over the years. Women who have suffered after recurrent chemical hair treatments have shared their stories in their complaints. It also raised awareness about the dangers of hair relaxers.
In July 2024, Forbes shared the story of a young woman’s health condition that made her question the use of chemical hair treatments. Jaye Hall mentioned that she first used hair relaxers when she was 9-years-old. She opted for this treatment as a one-time style trial that soon developed into a routine. She had to repeat it every 6 weeks, as she felt pretty when her hair appeared straight.
Soon chemically straightening her hair became an addiction. Soon, she realized the side effects of it. The treatment would burn her scalp. Much later, when she was 21, Jaye developed PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). She thinks this health condition and her earlier hair-straightening habits have a connection.
In March 2024, ktvu.com reported on a Tunisian woman, who was 26 years old and opted for hair straightening and smoothing products at the parlor. She developed three acute kidney stones between June 2020 and July 2022. This story was also published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
At the salon, the hairstylist would apply a hair cream that had 10% glyoxylic acid. Researchers believe that this chemical resulted in her kidney damage. It seems that glyoxylic acid causes calcium oxalate-induced nephropathy after applying hair relaxers. Even though this ingredient was recently used as a safe alternative to formaldehyde, it still causes health hazards.
How Do Hair Straighteners Cause Harm?
It is necessary to know the way chemical hair treatment creams cause chronic health conditions in women. Marc Baum, a chemist at Oak Crest Institute of Science in California, says that the molecular action of the relaxers is similar to the rungs of a ladder. An individual hair strand is composed of keratin chains. The sulfur bonds held together give the hair its texture and structure.
When there is an increased number of sulfur bonds, the hair becomes wavy, curly, or straight. The majority of hair relaxers snap the sulfur rungs of the ladder, which collapses the keratin fiber rails. It makes the wavy and curly hair flat. This is the process by which lye straighteners work.
The active ingredient in lye straighteners is sodium hydroxide. On the other hand, lye-free hair relaxers depend on sodium byproducts to get the work done. These chemical agents can develop a highly alkaline condition that can harm the human body. It can get within the strands and sever the sulfur bonds, permanently straightening the hair strands till there is fresh growth.
However, the reactions can burn your scalp. It also makes the broken skin vulnerable to other harmful ingredients, such as phthalates and parabens. When these compounds get into the human body, they can affect the endocrine system and lead to reproductive cancer.
TorHoerman Law affirms that if you have suffered from cancer or any chronic ailment after a chemical hair treatment, seek legal recourse. For this, consult a lawyer and present your case to them. They will go through your case details and let you know if you are eligible for a lawsuit. They will use the crucial evidence you’ve shared to develop a strong case and obtain the compensation that you deserve.
Say Yes To Your Curls
Most women straighten their hair because they feel their wavy or curly hair is dry, brittle, and frizzy. If you resonate with this, don’t think about a chemical hair treatment as the only solution. You can choose herbal and chemical-free hair treatments that will improve your hair condition. For instance, you can opt for a hot oil massage and use a good-quality shampoo, followed by a hair mask.
Additionally, you can trim your hair regularly to avoid split ends. You can choose a personalized hair care treatment that will keep your hair looking good for a long time. Once you decide to embrace your curls, you will come across ways that will keep them healthy.
To sum up, women across all ages want to straighten their hair to look glamorous and stunning. It might make your hair appear stunning for a short while, but there are health hazards that you will have to face. Reproductive cancers are common in women who’ve chemically treated their hair frequently. Hence, it’s best to accept your curly or wavy hair and take care of it to make it appear impressive.
