Survey: Most Hair Dye Users Don’t Know About Potential Cancer Risks
Permanent hair dye is used by millions of women in the United States every year. But despite its widespread application, a new Drugwatch survey found that few women are aware of research that ties hair dye use to a higher risk of breast cancer.
Research has linked the use of hair dyes to a higher risk of developing breast cancer. A 2019 study by National Institutes of Health researchers analyzed data from nearly 50,000 women, determining that those who use permanent hair dye are 9% more likely to develop breast cancer.
Drugwatch surveyed 600 women who use permanent hair dye to learn about their awareness of potential health impacts and whether they would change their habits because of the possible risk.
Key Takeaways From Our Hair Dye and Breast Cancer Survey
Drugwatch’s survey revealed that many women are not aware of any ties between hair dye and breast cancer, but were alarmed to discover that there may be a link.
- More than 75% of women who use hair dye were unaware that it may be linked to a higher risk of breast cancer.
- Nearly 65% of women who weren’t previously aware of the breast cancer connection said they would consider changing or limiting their hair dye use.
- About 19% of women surveyed said they stopped or limited their use of hair dye due to health concerns.
- More than 25% of respondents have experienced some form of side effect from hair dye.
Upon learning of the potential breast cancer risks, many women expressed shock and concern that a product they have used regularly could be connected to such a serious health condition.
“That’s a really big scare,” one respondent said. “If I hadn’t already been growing my natural gray out, I certainly would start after hearing that.”
Some respondents expressed frustration at the idea that hair dye manufacturers may be using potentially carcinogenic ingredients.
“I think it’s terrifying,” one woman replied. “They should be taking our health more seriously and be using safer ingredients.”
On the flip side, some respondents expressed skepticism about possible cancer concerns, wondering if the research was widespread enough to be noteworthy.
“I feel like by now more women would have cancer if this were that big of an issue,” one woman responded.
Most Women Are Unaware of Potential Hair Dye Health Concerns
Despite the widespread use of hair dye, Drugwatch’s survey found that most women who color their hair are unaware of any related health concerns.
Nearly a third of women surveyed said that they are not aware of any dye-related health issues, with another 22% responding they were unsure if they knew of any.
Among the 46% of women who are aware of health issues related to hair dye, more than a quarter stopped dyeing their hair because of these concerns.
Despite studies linking hair dye to breast cancer going back several years, most women who use these products are unaware that a connection may exist. Only about 24% of respondents said that they knew there may be a link between hair dye and breast cancer.
“That’s a really big scare. If I hadn’t already been growing my natural gray out, I certainly would start after hearing that.”
After learning of the research linking hair dye to breast cancer, many women noted that they would consider changes to their hair dye habits.
More than 64% of women said that they would consider changes or limitations on their hair dye use, with another 21% saying they might consider changes.
Only about 15% of respondents said that they would not consider any limitations.
Many Women Experience Side Effects from Hair Dye
In addition to potential cancer concerns, women noted several other side effects that they have experienced after using permanent hair dye.
Most women Drugwatch surveyed did not report any side effects following hair dye use. For those who did, the most common side effect was skin irritation. Some women also reported experiencing an allergic reaction.
Hair Dyes and Their Ties to Cancer
Over the years, permanent hair dyes have been connected to several different types of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, this includes breast cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, and lymphoma.
“ I think it's terrifying. They should be taking our health more seriously and be using safer ingredients.”
Professionals who work with hair dye may be at a heightened risk of developing bladder cancer. Hair dye lawsuits have been filed over these claims.
Among respondents to Drugwatch’s hair dye survey, 30 women said they had previously worked as a hair stylist or cosmetologist. Of that group, 24 said they have been concerned about the health impacts of their job and five said that they left jobs over health concerns.
The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies workplace exposure for hair stylists and cosmetologists as “probably carcinogenic.”
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