Does coloring your hair increase the risk of cancer?

Hair coloring is not new! In North-East Africa, the Egyptians already used henna to enhance their hair and beards. History tells that the great Ramses II himself could not do without coloring to hide his white hair. Dyes based on white lead, vermillion, preparations based on soda, violet or iris powders… Over time, the techniques for coloring hair diversified, until the beginning of the 20th century which marked a real turning point: the birth of permanent coloring thanks to the chemist Eugène Schueller. But these new hair dyes contain a large number of chemicals, some of which are linked to an increased risk of cancer.

Up to 5,000 chemicals in hair dye

“These chemicals can disrupt the actions and levels of hormones in your body and increase the risk of cancer”, explains Dr Chirag Shah, radiation oncologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Permanent dyes contain the most chemicals compared to semi-permanent or temporary dyes. Dark hair colors also have higher concentrations of these chemicals.

Hair coloring and cancer: what are the links?

Several studies have highlighted links between hair coloring and different types of cancer, such as:

– bladder cancer: an association was found for people who regularly work with dyes, but not for those who dye their hair;

– breast cancer: a large study published in 2019 in theInternational Journal of Cancer and involving more than 50,000 women, shows that people who regularly use permanent hair dyes have a higher risk of developing breast cancer than those who do not, with a 45% increased risk for black women, compared to a 7% increased risk for white women;

– skin and ovarian cancers: an observational study published in 2020 in the British Medical Journal links permanent coloring to an increased risk of developing skin, ovarian and breast cancers.

Cancer risk factors: can we continue to dye our hair?

Pesticides, air pollution, ultra-processed foods… We are exposed to different cancer risk factors on a daily basis. Reducing this exposure as much as possible to protect ourselves is therefore obvious, even if this does not give us the certainty that cancer will not affect us.

If coloring remains essential for you, less toxic and more natural alternatives exist, such as vegetable coloring which does not contain oxidants or harmful substances. Henna is also a good solution. However, you should expect a less radical color change than what is possible with traditional permanent coloring.