"Over the years, some studies have indicated a
possible link between hair dye use and cancer,
while others have not. In February 1994, FDA and
the American Cancer Society released an
epidemiologic study involving 573,000 women.
Researchers found that women who had ever used
permanent hair dyes showed decreased risk of all
fatal cancers combined and also of urinary
system cancers. The study also revealed that
women who had ever used permanent hair dyes
showed no increased risk of any type of
hematopoietic cancer (cancer of the body's
blood-forming systems).
This research, published in the Journal of the
National Cancer Institute, did suggest that
prolonged use (20 years or more of constant use)
of black hair dye may slightly increase the
occurrence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and
multiple myeloma, but these cases represented a
small fraction of hair dye users. This study
followed previous NCI studies that raised
concern about the use of hair dyes and higher
rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
In another study, published in the October 5,
1994, issue of the Journal of the National
Cancer Institute, researchers from Brigham and
Women's Hospital in Boston followed 99,000 women
and found no greater risk of cancers of the
blood or lymph systems among women who had ever
used permanent hair dyes.
Then in 1998, scientists at the University of
California at San Francisco questioned 2,544
people about their use of hair-color products.
After integrating the results of this study with
those of animal and other epidemiologic studies,
they concluded that there was little convincing
evidence linking non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with
normal use of hair-color products in humans. The
study was published in the December 1998 issue
of the American Journal of Public Health.
FDA continues to follow research in this field.
Also read related articles on Hair Dyes and Hair Color PPD
