Women who use chemicals to permanently straighten their hair are at a greater risk of developing endometrial carcinoma than those who do not use such products. That’s what a new study by the US National Institutes of Health revealed. Uterine tumor is the most common oncological disease that affects the genital organs and, accordingly, the reproductive system of women. This disorder represents 3% of all oncological diseases. In 2022, an estimated 65,950 new cases of endometrial carcinoma will be diagnosed in the United States. Uterine carcinoma can involve surrounding tissues and organs such as the vagina, bladder, rectum, and others. Depending on the stage of the disease, distant metastases are also possible. The most common symptoms of the disease include bleeding, pain, unpleasant vaginal discharge, significant weight loss, anemia due to profuse bleeding, fatigue, loss of appetite and lethargy. In the presence of such symptoms, a visit to a specialist doctor is recommended. The basis of chemical hair straightening is the destruction of individual protein bonds in the hair. As a result of this destruction, curly or wavy hair becomes straight. Chemical hair straightening is a permanent procedure, the effect of which is visible until the hair has fully grown. The new study analyzed data from 33,497 US women aged 35-74. The condition of these women was followed for almost 11 years, during which time 378 cases of uterine carcinoma were diagnosed. The experts concluded that in women who reported frequent use of chemical hair straightening products – more than four times in the previous year – the risk of developing a uterine tumor was twice as high, compared to that in women , not using the products. It found that 1.64% of women who never used hair straightening products could develop uterine cancer by the age of 70, while for frequent users this number reached 4.05%. The study did not track the specific hair straightening products the women used. However, common substances have been identified in their composition that could increase the risk of the occurrence of a tumor process. These are arabenes, bisphenol A, metals and formaldehyde. References: https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-higher-uterine-cancer-risk