A new study by the Silent Spring Institute shows that both synthetic and human hair extensions used by Black women may contain dangerous chemicals linked to cancer and other health risks.
Researchers tested 43 products bought online and from beauty stores and detected 169 chemicals, including flame retardants, pesticides, and plastic-stabilizing compounds.
Twelve of these chemicals are on California’s Proposition 65 list, which warns about substances known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm.
Seventeen compounds identified have been associated with br£ast cancer and were present in 36 of the samples. Prior research has also found carcinogens and lead in popular braiding hair brands.
Chemical hair relaxers and straighteners carry risks too. The Black Women’s Health Study (2023) reported a 50% higher risk of uterine cancer in postmenopausal Black women who used relaxers frequently, while a 2022 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study linked regular straightener use to over twice the risk of developing uterine cancer. Uterine cancer represented roughly 3% of new U.S. cases in 2025.
Dr. Chris Pernell, director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity, warns that harmful chemicals in braiding hair can be absorbed through the scalp, inhaled during styling, or transferred via hands, putting braiders and stylists at high risk.
𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗔𝗽𝗽 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗔𝘀 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝗽!
