Chemical Hair Relaxer Use and Its Potential Effect on Incidence of Endometrial Cancer in Black Women

Recent research suggests that frequent use of chemical hair relaxers (>4 times/year) significantly increases the risk of endometrial cancer (EC) in Black women, with a hazard ratio of 2.55. Black women, who make up 6.5% of the U.S. population, purchase 60% of chemical straighteners. Data from the SEER database (2001-2019) shows that the incidence of EC in Black women surpassed that of White women in 2017, with rates of 28 and 27.5 per 100,000, respectively. By 2019, the rate for Black women increased to 29 per 100,000, compared to 27.6 for White women. The study concludes that the use of hair relaxers could be a significant factor in the higher incidence of EC among Black women, suggesting the need for risk stratification and potential warning labels on hair relaxer products.