Is there a true concern regarding the use of hair dye and malignancy development?: a review of the epidemiological evidence relating personal hair dye use to the risk of malignancy

Abstract

Many advances in the cosmetic industry have increased our ability to enhance youth and beauty. Hair-coloring products are one such innovation. Over the past several decades, a significant amount of work has been dedicated to understanding the possible long-term side effects associated with hair-dye use, specifically looking at cancer risk. This paper describes the hair-coloring process, highlights the potentially carcinogenic ingredients in various hair-dying products, and reviews the epidemiological evidence relating personal hair-dye use to the risk of developing several types of malignancies.

Figure 1

Microscopic view at 400x of a gray hair stained with temporary hair dye. The temporary black hair dye has a superficial absorption of the gray hair's outer root sheath and can be seen coating the outside of the hair shaft as black clumps.

Figure 2

Microscopic view at 400x of a gray hair stained with permanent hair dye. The permanent black hair dye has deep penetration into the cortex and cuticle of the gray hair, as seen here as the intense dark band in the center of the hair shaft.