Decision: To continue or discontinue frequently using permanent dye on my hair (once every 2-3 months)
Hypotheses:
1. Use of permanent hair dye causes breast cancer.
http://m.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/intheworkplace/hair-dyes
http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Table24Hairdyesandbreastcancerrisk.html
According to the Susan G. Koman website, there are no significant findings that permanent hair dye is a cause of breast cancer, the American Cancer Society reports similar findings but maintains that although it is not a proven cause, a risk may still be involved. I'm not sure if I'm going to include this hypothesis, even though it's one that I hear most often. I assume it's heard so much because breast cancer is the cancer most commonly associated with women, and hair dying tends to be a more feminine practice. I may include it just to dispel the false claims.
2. Use of permanent hair dye causes lymphoma.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/578427
http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00700427
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/hair-dyes
The sources mention multiple times that conflicting results have come from studies on non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and hair dye. The factor that seems to smooth out the inconsistencies is including the variable: "Started Using Permanent Hair Dye Before 1980", before which, known carcinogens were still included in the permanent hair dye formula. Another factor that weighs less heavily on results but still makes a small impact, is the color: darker colors tend to have more severe formulas and are more likely to cause non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
3. Use of permanent hair dye causes bladder cancer.
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/healthyliving/cancercontroversies/hairdyes/hair-dyes-and-cancer
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/6361.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12663508
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21678399
Like the studies on NHL, the studies on bladder cancer have been inconclusive; however, it is agreed that semi-permanent and temporary hair dyes pose little to no risk of bladder cancer. One study concluded that, regardless of smoking (a known cause of bladder cancer), a person who frequently dyes his/her hair is twice as likely to develop bladder cancer, and that a person working around hair dye (salon workers) are five times as likely to develop bladder cancer. Bladder cancer has been attributed in part to exposure to the family of chemicals known as arylamines, which seeps through the scalp during the hair dye process and is expelled though urine, thus passing through the bladder, making itself a risk factor.
4. Only salon workers are at risk of getting cancer from exposure to permanent hair dye.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/disparities/lifelines/2012/2012-beauty-products-hl.pdf
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/6/1512.long
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/6361.html
Salon workers have a higher rate of cancer than the rest of the population; however, this does not necessarily prove that prolonged exposure to permanent hair dye causes cancer, as products such as chemical relaxers, straighteners, and perms all contain carcinogens and/or suspected carcinogens, and are all frequently used in salons. One article states that salon workers (who have worked in the profession for ten years or longer) are five times more likely to develop bladder cancer than the general population.
Hypotheses:
1. Use of permanent hair dye causes breast cancer.
http://m.cancer.org/cancer/cancercauses/othercarcinogens/intheworkplace/hair-dyes
http://ww5.komen.org/BreastCancer/Table24Hairdyesandbreastcancerrisk.html
According to the Susan G. Koman website, there are no significant findings that permanent hair dye is a cause of breast cancer, the American Cancer Society reports similar findings but maintains that although it is not a proven cause, a risk may still be involved. I'm not sure if I'm going to include this hypothesis, even though it's one that I hear most often. I assume it's heard so much because breast cancer is the cancer most commonly associated with women, and hair dying tends to be a more feminine practice. I may include it just to dispel the false claims.
2. Use of permanent hair dye causes lymphoma.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/578427
http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00700427
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/hair-dyes
The sources mention multiple times that conflicting results have come from studies on non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and hair dye. The factor that seems to smooth out the inconsistencies is including the variable: "Started Using Permanent Hair Dye Before 1980", before which, known carcinogens were still included in the permanent hair dye formula. Another factor that weighs less heavily on results but still makes a small impact, is the color: darker colors tend to have more severe formulas and are more likely to cause non-Hodgkins lymphoma.
3. Use of permanent hair dye causes bladder cancer.
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/healthyliving/cancercontroversies/hairdyes/hair-dyes-and-cancer
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/6361.html
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12663508
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21678399
Like the studies on NHL, the studies on bladder cancer have been inconclusive; however, it is agreed that semi-permanent and temporary hair dyes pose little to no risk of bladder cancer. One study concluded that, regardless of smoking (a known cause of bladder cancer), a person who frequently dyes his/her hair is twice as likely to develop bladder cancer, and that a person working around hair dye (salon workers) are five times as likely to develop bladder cancer. Bladder cancer has been attributed in part to exposure to the family of chemicals known as arylamines, which seeps through the scalp during the hair dye process and is expelled though urine, thus passing through the bladder, making itself a risk factor.
4. Only salon workers are at risk of getting cancer from exposure to permanent hair dye.
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/disparities/lifelines/2012/2012-beauty-products-hl.pdf
http://ije.oxfordjournals.org/content/38/6/1512.long
http://www.usc.edu/uscnews/stories/6361.html
Salon workers have a higher rate of cancer than the rest of the population; however, this does not necessarily prove that prolonged exposure to permanent hair dye causes cancer, as products such as chemical relaxers, straighteners, and perms all contain carcinogens and/or suspected carcinogens, and are all frequently used in salons. One article states that salon workers (who have worked in the profession for ten years or longer) are five times more likely to develop bladder cancer than the general population.
Really well researched points here. You did a really great job finding relevant articles and explaining them with great depth and with great insight. It was interesting to see the number of salon workers that are affected by the hair dye. It stands to reason that this shows a connection between long term exposure to these permanent chemicals and adverse health effects.
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