Hair-Dye Rumors Die Hard
For: The Long and Short of It: Hair Myths
and Facts, August 2002
There's no evidence that hair dye had anything to do with Jacqueline Onassis's death from lymphoma, though Dr. Andrew Weil and others have been spreading the rumor that it did. A few years ago a study of half a million women found no link between the use of hair dyes and cancer, except that there was some evidence that, in a very small number of cases, using permanent black dyes for 20 years or more might increase the risk for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
In December, however, a large study of people with non-Hodgkins lymphoma conducted by the School of Medicine, UC San Francisco and published in the American Journal of Public Health found "little convincing evidence linking non-Hodgkin's lymphoma with normal use of hair color products of any type in humans."
This is not the same thing as saying that hair dyes have been proven completely safe, but the scientific evidence does not suggest that they raise cancer risk. As many as half of all American women dye their hair with permanent dyes, and increasing numbers of men dye their hair, too, so it's good news that these dyes don't increase cancer risk.
Hair dye is not innocuous, of course. Different dyes contain different ingredients, and if you color your own hair, be sure to follow the package directions carefully. Do the recommended patch test each time before you dye to make sure you are not allergic to any of the ingredients.
Note: Some "progressive dyes," such as Grecian Formula, Youthhair Creme, and Grecian Plus, contain lead. Though these dyes are regarded as safe by the FDA, pregnant women should avoid them, and users should take care not to expose young children to these products. Hair dyed with these products can "shed" lead. For example, a child handling an adult's dyed hair could get lead on his/her hands. As with all dyes, follow directions carefully.
UC Berkeley Wellness Letter, April 1999
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