FDA Considers Ban on Formaldehyde-Containing Hair Relaxers Linked to Health Risks

FDA Plans to Ban Formaldehyde-Based Hair Straighteners as Studies Link Long-Term Use with Increased Uterine Cancer Risk, Especially Among Black Women.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is contemplating a ban on hair-straightening products containing formaldehyde, linked with long-term health risks, including an increased risk of uterine cancer.
According to a 2022 US study, women who regularly used such products had a 4% risk of uterine cancer by 70, compared to 1.6% risk in non-users, although Cancer Research UK's Dr Claire Knight maintains that there's no strong evidence relating hair-straightening products to cancer risk.
The FDA's potential ban is a response to concerns raised in an open letter by US Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Shontel Brown, referencing a Boston University Black Women’s Health Study indicating increased uterine cancer risk with long-term use of such products.
Formaldehyde-based hair relaxers, which are often used in Black hair care, have reportedly fallen out of fashion among younger generations, particularly as awareness of associated health risks has grown.
While the FDA's proposed rule is seen as a positive step, experts argue that addressing a single chemical is not enough, and consideration should also be given to endocrine disruptors, phthalates, parabens, and heavy metals.