A new study by Consumer Reports has found that several synthetic hair products commonly used in braids, extensions and other protective hairstyles popular among Black women contain potentially harmful chemicals, including carcinogens and lead.
The report, revealed that 10 synthetic hair products tested contained ingredients linked to cancer.
Nine of those products were also found to contain lead, a toxic metal known to cause serious health and developmental problems. In one case, a package of braiding hair exceeded California’s maximum allowable dose level for lead by more than 600 percent.
Researchers used California’s standards, describing them as the most protective available in the United States, because there are currently no federal limits regulating lead content in synthetic braiding hair.
Synthetic hair is widely used in protective styles such as braids, twists and locs, which can be worn for weeks at a time. While these styles help shield natural hair from breakage and heat damage, prolonged wear may increase exposure to harmful chemicals present in the synthetic fibers, the report noted.
Consumer Reports evaluated products from 10 companies, including well-known brands such as Magic Fingers, Sensationnel and Shake-N-Go. Many of the products are made using Kanekalon fibers, manufactured by Kaneka.
In response, Kaneka stated that it produces only the base fibers and does not manufacture the final hair products, which are dyed and styled by individual brands.
The study also identified benzene, a known carcinogen linked to acute myeloid leukemia, and methylene chloride, which the Environmental Protection Agency associates with liver and lung cancer after prolonged exposure. The Food and Drug Administration does not permit methylene chloride in cosmetics.
Health advocates stress that there is no safe level of exposure to lead or benzene and urge consumers to minimize contact with products containing these substances.
Source:NBC