While it’s no secret that harmful chemicals found in relaxers contribute to breast cancer in Black women, a new study suggests that parabens can help fuel cancer cells faster in black women than in whites.
Conducted by Bench to Community Initiative, research “Identified parabens have increased the growth of breast cancer The cells were in black women but did not affect breast cancer cells in white women at a similar rate,” Black Enterprise reported.
As you probably know, parabens are used in products to preserve shelf life. They prevent bacteria, mold and yeast in the product. But the problem with parabens is that they enter the body through inhalation, absorption, and digestion.
The information was presented by the Endocrine Society at its annual meeting in Atlanta on Monday.
Lindsey S. Trevinoteam leader, said in a press release:
Black women are more likely to buy and use hair products with these chemicals, but we don’t have as much data on whether parabens can increase breast cancer risk in black women. how.
She went on to say that black women were not selected to participate in studies to get more information about the link between parabens and black women.
“This is because Black women were not selected to participate in most of the studies looking for this association. In addition, studies to test this association have used only breast cancer cell lines from Caucasian women. ”
Breast cancer is the leading cause of death in the Black community. According to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, black women have a 41 percent higher mortality rate, and women under 50 are twice as likely to die from breast cancer as white women.
Other observational studies have also analyzed the link between Black women and the toxic hair products marketed to them.
According to the Boston University Black Women’s Health Study that followed 59,000 women enrolled in 1995, no link was found between breast cancer and women who used moderate hair relaxers. But research has shown that “high use of hair relaxants containing lye” may be linked to a more severe form of breast cancer, The Insider reported.
Recent reports also show that many women in the Black community stopped letting their hair down in the mid-2000s. However, by 2021, it is said that many have reverted to “creams.” because their hair is easier to hold.
A popular YouTuber, Ashley White, spoke to Allure and explained why she started letting her hair loose again.
She stated:
It was just a struggle for me to get to know my hair and determine what it likes, what it needs, what products are right for it.
She continued:
It took me a lot of time and effort, or just more time and effort than I would have liked for my hair, to achieve a simple style.
As you know, the Black hair care industry is estimated to be around $2.5 billion in 2018. Mintel believes it could be worth more, as that figure doesn’t include hair accessories or wigs. .
Roomies, what do you think of this news?
