Cancer-causing toxins found in 10 popular braiding hair brands: Report

[KENNEDY FELTON]

BRAIDS ARE MORE THAN JUST A HAIRSTYLE – THEY’RE A CULTURAL STAPLE… A PROTECTIVE CHOICE… AND A FORM OF SELF EXPRESSION FOR MILLIONS OF PEOPLE. BUT WHAT IF THAT VERY HAIR USED FOR THESE STYLES WAS PUTTING OUR HEALTH AT RISK?

“BEAUTY PRODUCTS SUCH AS SYNTHETIC BRAIDING HAIR ARE LARGELY UNREGULATED AND SOME INGREDIENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO BE LISTED ON THE PACKAGE. “

A NEW INVESTIGATION BY CONSUMER REPORTS HAS BEEN MAKING WAVES ON SOCIAL MEDIA… AFTER RESEARCHERS FOUND THAT SOME OF THE MOST POPULAR SYNTHETIC BRAIDING HAIR BRANDS CONTAIN CHEMICALS LINKED TO CANCER – WITH ALL TEN BRANDS TESTED SHOWING TRACES OF TOXINS. ACCORDING TO THE REPORT… A MEDICAL STUDENT NAMED CHRYSTAL THOMAS SET OUT TO CONDUCT THIS RESEARCH IN 20-23 AFTER EXPERIENCING A REACTION THE SAME DAY SHE GOT BRAIDS.

SHE ISN’T ALONE. BLACK WOMEN ARE THE PRIMARY CONSUMERS OF BRAIDING HAIR… BUT OTHER GROUPS ALSO USE IT TO ACHIEVE LONGER… FULLER… OR PROTECTIVE STYLES. BUT MULTIPLE PEOPLE HAVE REPORTED ITCHING… THROAT IRRITATION… RED BUMPS ON THE SCALP… AND BURNING SENSATIONS SIMILAR TO WHAT THOMAS EXPERIENCED.

SYNTHETIC BRAIDING HAIR IS AN AFFORDABLE OPTION – WITH MOST STYLES REQUIRING THREE TO FIVE PACKS OF HAIR… SOMETIMES EVEN MORE FOR FULLER LOOKS. EACH PACK CAN COST AS LITTLE AS FOUR DOLLARS… BUT WHEN FACTORING IN INSTALLATION… THE TOTAL PRICE OF A BRAIDED STYLE CAN SOMETIMES EXCEED ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND THE INDUSTRY IS BOOMING – WITH THE MARKET FOR SYNTHETIC HAIR VALUED AT NEARLY 2-POINT-8 BILLION DOLLARS IN 2023… AND STILL GROWING.

SYNTHETIC BRAIDING HAIR IS MADE OF PLASTIC-BASED FIBERS DESIGNED TO MIMIC THE LOOK AND FEEL OF NATURAL HAIR. BUT CONSUMER REPORTS FOUND THAT WHEN THIS HAIR IS HEATED – A COMMON PRACTICE TO SEAL BRAIDS BY DIPPING THEM IN BOILING WATER OR RUNNING A LIGHTER ALONG THE ENDS – IT CAN RELEASE POTENTIALLY TOXIC CHEMICALS INTO THE AIR.

TO LIMIT EXPOSURE… IT IS RECOMMENDED TO TAKE BREAKS BETWEEN INSTALLS… AND SOME STYLISTS HAVE LONG ADVISED WASHING BRAIDING HAIR WITH AN APPLE CIDER VINEGAR RINSE TO REMOVE CHEMICAL COATINGS. HOWEVER… THERE’S NO SCIENTIFIC EVIDENCE PROVING THIS WORKS… AND DERMATOLOGISTS WARN THAT IMPROPERLY DILUTING VINEGAR COULD ACTUALLY RELEASE MORE HARMFUL CHEMICALS INSTEAD OF NEUTRALIZING THEM.

TWO BRANDS TESTED BY CONSUMER REPORTS – SENSATIONNEL AND MAGIC FINGERS – RESPONDED TO THE CLAIMS… STATING THAT THEY ENSURE THE SAFETY OF THEIR PRODUCTS. SENSATIONNEL EVEN WENT FURTHER… URGING CONSUMERS TO CONTINUE USING THEIR HAIR… INSISTING IT MEETS SAFETY STANDARDS.

THESE FINDINGS COME AMID A GROWING CONVERSATION ABOUT CHEMICALS IN HAIR PRODUCTS MARKETED TO BLACK WOMEN. STUDIES HAVE ALREADY LINKED CHEMICAL HAIR RELAXERS TO A HIGHER RISK OF FIBROIDS AND CERTAIN CANCERS – NOW SYNTHETIC BRAIDING HAIR IS UNDER SCRUTINY TOO.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR BRAID LOVERS? WHILE THERE’S NO WIDELY AVAILABLE “CLEAN” SYNTHETIC HAIR OPTION YET… EXPERTS RECOMMEND LIMITING USE… TESTING NEW HAIR FOR REACTIONS BEFORE INSTALLING… AND STAYING INFORMED AS MORE RESEARCH COMES OUT.