Frequent exposure to hair dyes may contribute to breast cancer risk: study

Changing hair colour often has been associated to an increased risk of developing breast cancer among women. A new study has claimed that women who dye their hair have a 14 percent rise in rates of breast cancer.

London surgeon Kefah Mokbel from the Princess Grace Hospital in Marylebone recommends that females colour their hair no more than two to five times per year. The results of the study, according to Mokbel, concern the fact that the industry recommends women to colour their hair every four to six weeks.

Mokbel said that the findings suggest how exposure to hair dye may contribute to breast cancer risk, but recognised that further work is needed to confirm the results. He also clarified that the links are only a correlation.

“The positive association between the use of hair dyes and breast cancer risk does not represent evidence of a cause-effect relationship,” Mokbel wrote on Facebook. He also took to Twitter to further talk about the topic; he wrote that women are advised to lessen exposure to synthetic hair dyes to two to six times per year and undergo regular breast screening from the age of 40.

Choose natural products

“It would be preferable to choose hair dyes that contain the minimum concentration of aromatic amines such as PPD (less than 2 percent),” Mokbel tweeted. He also encourages the use of as many natural products as possible, like henna, beetroot or rose hip.

Rutgers University in New Jersey researchers suggest that carcinogens in hair products may be contributing to the increased risk. Researchers told the Women's Circle Health Study that the use of dark shade hair dyes was found to be associated with a 51 percent increase overall risk in developing breast cancer among African American women, and a 72 percent increased risk of estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer among African Americans.

A separate Finnish research found a link between women who use hair dye and chances of developing breast cancer, according to Sanna Heikkinen from the Finnish Cancer Registry. She said they observed a “statistical association” between the use of hair colour and risk of breast cancer, The Independent reports.

But Heikkinen also noted that scientists are not certain of a cause-effect relationship. She said it is impossible to confirm a true causal connection. For instance, women who dye their hair might also be using other cosmetics compared to women who reportedly never use hair dyes, Heikkinen said.