Hair Relaxers Cause Uterine Fibroids?
I recently read that Hair Relaxers Have Been Postulated To Cause Uterine Fibroid In Colored Women so I took the liberty to research on it, these article is a deduction of my research.
Uterine Fibroid are benign or non-cancerous tumors that grow on/in the muscle of the uterus. This condition is known to affect twenty to forty percent of women before they are in their forties. Black women are three times more likely to have fibroids and sometimes it can even occur at an earlier age.
Certain factors which include hair relaxers, family history, obesity and eating habits has been linked to causes of Uterine Fibroid although there is no general knowledge on how to prevent it from occurring.
What is the relationship between hair relaxers and fibroid and how does it even relate much less cause fibroid in women?
A study done on twenty-three-thousand African American women showed that women who used hair relaxing products were more “likely” to have fibroids. Specifically because fibroids may be linked to the chemical exposure through scalp burns that result from relaxers.
A study done on twenty-three-thousand African American women showed that women who used hair relaxing products were more “likely” to have fibroids. Specifically because fibroids may be linked to the chemical exposure through scalp burns that result from relaxers.
Girls who got their first periods before the age ten were more likely to get uterine fibroid later on in life and early periods may also be linked to the chemicals in hair relaxers. A study was done on three hundred women of various ethnic groups and found that black girls were more likely to get their period at a younger age and more ‘likely’ to use hair relaxing products. However there is no evidence showing that the use of hair relaxers or early puberty cause fibroids. These things are only linked through association.- ask4ufe.com
All this study has done is give the ‘likelihood’ without any supporting evidence, just mere suggestions without any fact findings.
Let’s analyze this:
Black girls begin menarche earlier than girls of other ethnic groups because they are usually bigger in body size and develop faster than their counterparts of the same age. As with any thing that has to do with the female body, pre-pubertal body mass is directly proportionate to a girls pubertal development ie the bigger the girl looks, the earlier she starts to mature irrespective of if she uses hair relaxers or not.
Black girls begin menarche earlier than girls of other ethnic groups because they are usually bigger in body size and develop faster than their counterparts of the same age. As with any thing that has to do with the female body, pre-pubertal body mass is directly proportionate to a girls pubertal development ie the bigger the girl looks, the earlier she starts to mature irrespective of if she uses hair relaxers or not.
Why then does Uterine Fibroid affect mainly Black women?
Because the fibroid is a reproductive tract related problem, studies that have tried to explain the situation focus on physiological reasons eg hormones, body mass/body fat as early menarche among black women.
What’s the Relationship With Relaxers And Hows Does That Come Into Play?
No known relationship has been found between relaxers and uterine fibroid in black women except for the fact that black women use more hair care products than women of other color descents. This frequent use causes “Frequent chronic exposure to hormonal-active chemicals in hair care products which ‘could’ increase the risk of conditions associated with exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals EDCs” present in hair relaxers.
What are these Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals, EDCs?
Hair products contain hormonal-active compounds parabens and phthalates which can be absorbed into the skin via lesions from chemical burns when relaxing the hair. Parabens can be an estrogen-mimic but only at a very minimal level.
Well if this should even be considered linking to Uterine Fibroid it’s important to note that parabens are not found only in hair relaxers but can also be found in lotions, shaving gel, baby jelly, makeup, and is even found in food too. Phthalates are found in pill caplets, bandages, toys, food packaging, textiles and paint.
So if black women are steadily exposed to the chemicals that could cause Uterine Fibroid every day, isolating relaxers as the most ‘likely’ cause for fibroid without adequate evidence to support such claims is unreasonable to say the least.
