For this subject, we will be using the Scientific Method again for this question to answer our question appropriately.
Let's see if this is true.
Observation/Question
Research
Hypothesis
Test with experiments
Analyze data
Report conclusion
Question:
Do Relaxers cause cancer in Black Women?
Data from a sister study. The data that was collected is from 33,497 Us black women from the ages of 35-79 participating in the sister study by the National Institute of Environmental health. They Identify risk factors for breast cancer and other conditions. In the study, women were followed for 11 years and 378 uterine cancer cases were diagnosed.
Women who use hair straightening products are twice as likely to develop uterine cancer is what the study suggests. Approximately 60% of participants SELF-IDENTIFIED as black women.
Hypothesis:
Adverse health effects may be greater because black women use relaxers more than other races use the chemicals in their hair. Because using relaxers more often than other races of people use the chemicals in their hair. Black women start using relaxers at such a young age and if they do it more frequently the risk is higher. "Che-Jung Chang Ph. D."
Experiments:
No Experiments were run/ No Controlled Group/ No Professional application was performed/ No exact data on application, brand, product, or ingredients were listed to provide the intricate details needed for this study to suggest that this study is a fact.
Analyze data:
"To our knowledge, this is the first epidemiologic study that examines the relationship between straighteners use and uterine cancer" "Said White." (In Article link below) More Research is needed to confirm these findings in different populations and to determine if hair products contribute to identifying the specific chemicals that may have caused cancer in women.
The Researcher did not collect information on brands/ relatable or the same ingredients found in the products the women used. They note certain Chemicals found in the relaxers could be the cause but the data was never collected and the hypothesis was never tested to suggest these chemicals are the reason being.
Report Conclusion:
Chemical Straighteners May cause uterine cancer due to Overusage of the Relaxers.
Missing Data:
Controlled test groups Product formulations
Process of application
Dates and times of Application
Diet While the test was run
Previous Health issues
More Controlled testing and diverse groups from different communities
Cyns Personal Observation:
Known Causes from my research for over 17 Years and 45,000 clients later. (In a controlled setting):
Box Relaxers
Home Relaxers
Working into scalp
No proper basing of scalp
They are frequently overusing the product and have no actual pattern/ Selecting the wrong Relaxer for their hair.
The porosity of your hair should determine which relaxer is applied correctly by a professional.
High porosity should receive a mild/ Medium
Low porosity should receive a - Med/ High
Medium Porosity should Receive a Med/ Normal
(Edits should be made based on the density and diameter of the hair shaft. Most Box Relaxers are one size fits all)
For more information Read the article below:
We are all great at some things, but not everything. I was the wet set queen because I could not flat iron my hair -- no matter how I tried -- I was really so very awful at it! My stylist was kind enough to tell me to stop, because every time I attempted the task, I caused so much damage that she had trim off the burnt ends. I would never even think to challenge myself to put a relaxer in my hair! All I did was wash, condition, roll-set, and wrap. It was the dryer time that I found frustrating (2 1/2 hours whew) I had to pray.
Thank you so much for this post! I was getting so annoyed seeing all this misinformation being spread. Like I swear most people didn't actually read the article or the study. People using a product wrong and then blaming the product instead of their own actions. I loved that you talked about home relaxers. To me it never made sense to use a chemical like that on myself if I haven't been trained to use it properly. I'm grateful to have a stylist that knows what's she's doing so I've never had issues like scalp burning,stabbing,etc. I've been following you for 2 years and I love your content. Please continue to debunk all this misinformation in the black hair community❤️❤️❤️