Use of hair dyes is common in modern society, so much so that an estimated 50-80% of women in the US aged 50 or more use hair dye. However, recent studies have indicated that personal use of hair dye may be related to an increased risk of cancer. This study aims to examine the associations between personal use of hair dyes and cancer risk and mortality.
This prospective cohort study included a total of 117,200 women who were free of cancer at baseline and reported information on personal use of permanent hair dyes. The status, duration, frequency, and integral use of hair dyes were calculated. The primary outcome of the study was the risk of overall cancer, specific cancers, and cancer-related mortality.
No correlation between the use of permanent hair dyes and risk of solid cancers (HR 0.98) or hematopoietic cancers (HR 1.0) was established. In addition, the participants did not develop a higher risk of most specific cancers. The users of permanent dyes were not at a higher risk of cancer-related death (HR 0.96).
The research concluded that there was no linear association between the personal use of permanent hair dyes and the risk of cancer or cancer-related death in US women.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2942
