Does Braiding Hair Cause Cancer? Social Media Debates Safety Of Protective Styling

While braids are the go-to protective style for many Black women, a new study reveals it may not be as safe as believed.

Consumer Reports published a piece last month finding multiple brands of synthetic hair used for braids and other styles to contain “dangerous” chemicals. The study was prompted by research published by Chrystal Thomas in 2023 after she experienced scalp irritation from a braided hairstyle.

In her article, which provided commentary as a component of her public health coursework, Thomas found the risks of synthetic braiding hair and its styling processes to be under-researched and under-regulated. Taking this into consideration, CR scientists tested multiple synthetic braiding hair products for heavy metals and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with potentially hazardous results.

In its findings, CR noted that all brands tested contained carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances, and other VOCs. The process endured to finalize these results was conducted by braiding hair test leader James E. Rogers, PhD, director and head of product safety testing, listing postive results for dangerous chemicles such as the known carcinogen benzene in several items.

The CR process also indicated none of the products had detectable arsenic, however, “Three of the products had detectable cadmium, but our exposure and risk analysis found the levels did not pose a risk.” Lead was also detected in multiple samples.

The full study was condensed into a TikTok video for CR audiences, however, it quickly garnered widespread attention with millions of views, and a comment section full of panicked Black women citing racism and their own ill-experiences with various braiding products. The threat of cancer is rightfully something to take heed, however, opposing views from TikTok creators with expertise in scientific fields attempted to calm the hysteria and offer a nuanced interpretation of CR’s data.

In a response to CR’s original TikTok, user Scisaac, a Doctoral Paediatric Haematological Cancer Researcher and science content creator from the UK, noted what he deemed to be a “massive flaw” in the study. Scisaac shares with VIBE that he has been a scientist for over four years, with a BSc and an MSc in life sciences and experience working in clinical, academic and industry laboratories.

“The methodology appeared to only speak to ‘possible harm’ if users of synthetic hair were actively eating the hair or burning it and inhaling the subsequent fumes,” he explained in a statement after he read the full methodology. “Last I checked, Black women are not replacing spaghetti noodles with synthetic hair bundles or making synthetic hair scented candles. The claims that were made versus the standard of test, were exceptionally misleading.”

He continued, “The standard of the test conducted by Consumer Report and their subsequent findings were not sufficient to make the claims that they did. It appears that they conducted only one experiment, when the standard is a triplicate data set and this speaks to a careless and haphazard approach towards the possible black health implications of this study,” adding that while CR‘s video has millions of views, his has not reached as big of an audience.

“Hopefully, I can continue to debunk and call-out scientifically flawed research, aimed at hurting and confusing the Black community.”

In a separate response, the TikTok account for Javon Ford Beauty, a cosmetic chemist, shared a similar opposing view to CR‘s post.

“People are already jumping to conspiracy theories,” he noted. “The MADL they (CR) went off of is for drinking water, which is only based off of oral exposure, not dermal exposure.” He reached out to CR to question why they went with the model, noting the levels of lead found in the braid samples were less than allowed in lipstick.

“You’re much more likely to ingest lead via lipstick than you are via hair. But, you might ask ‘Why is there lead allowed at all?’ It’s because lead is kind of impossible to get rid of. It’s elemental. It’s in the ground. These are very conservative limits to account for the fact that lead is just ubiquitous.”

It is important to note CR never explicitly asserted the products cause cancer, only that the chemicals were found in the samples. The organization urges shoppers to supplement its research with reading product labels, staying aware of recalls, and reporting adverse effects as more research on the subject is needed across the science and beauty industries.

But still, there’s hope for naturalistas seeking more organic options. As the beauty industry evolves, braiding hair refuses to be left behind. Ciara May founded the company Rebundle, which offers plant-based extensions, after identifying the need through her own experiences.

She was able to leverage her background and degree in business and entrepreneurship with her passion and curiosity for creating a product that did not result in scalp irritation through endless research and trial and error. Today, her company offers multiple colors of Braidbetter hair, categorized by tone as well as styling essentials. Rebundle is vegan-friendly and also biodegradable for customers looking for options that align with a more sustainable lifestyle.

“I think that in order for science to be realistic, there has to be rebuttal, and so I think it’s good that CR did their part to start the conversation to release their findings and their methodology and invite a conversation about what is and what people should be doing with this information,” shared May on a phone call with VIBE.

“I think the conversation is important, because that’s how we get closer to a solution.”

She continued, “I have been making more content about this, encouraging people to want to take a breath and try to digest the information that Consumer Reports put out.

“We’ve created content about this subject for four or five years. There’s a lot to learn, there’s a lot to seek out. Talk to your hair professionals about it and get their opinion on what they think could be the risks associated, because at the end of the day, I think the most important takeaway from CR’s report is the concern is about frequency abuse and repeat use. While some may choose to continue to wear the hair extensions, I think what they’re asking people to do is be cognizant of the associated risks based on their findings, and also, if you compound that with the number of toxins that we’re exposed to in a bunch of other products, of which Black women are far more exposed, that’s something to take into consideration.”