The Dangers of Wigs and Hair Extensions to Black Women

A new study by Silent Spring Institute, the most comprehensive analysis to date, identified dozens of hazardous chemicals in hair extensions, including products made from human hair, providing the strongest evidence yet of the potential health risks associated with this largely unregulated category of beauty products that disproportionately affect Black women.

These results were published in the American Chemical Society journal Environment & Health and the study was presented amid growing concern about the health impacts of hair extensions, which are widely used by Black women. More than 70 percent of Black women report wearing hair extensions at least once in the past year, compared with less than 10 percent of women from other racial and ethnic groups. 

“While prior reports have found some chemicals of concern in hair extensions, there’s still much we don’t know about their overall chemical makeup. We wanted to get a better picture of the extent of the problem,” says lead author Dr. Elissia Franklin, a research scientist at Silent Spring Institute. “This is an industry that has long overlooked the health of Black women, who should not have to choose between cultural expression, convenience, and their health.”

Hair extensions can be made from synthetic fibers and bio-based materials, including human hair, and are often treated with chemicals to make them flame resistant, waterproof, or antimicrobial.

“Yet, companies rarely disclose the chemicals used to achieve these properties, leaving consumers in the dark about the health risks from prolonged wear,” says Franklin. The fibers sit directly on the scalp and neck, and when heated and styled, they can release chemicals into the air that wearers may breathe in.
Hair extensions are epidermal (on the outside of the skin), however some chemicals are transdermal, and therefore can be absorbed through the skin tissue and into a person's bloodstream.

Also, most hair extensions contain heavy metals (particularly lead), flame retardants, pesticides, and compounds used to stabilize plastics. In the study,  9 out of 10 products tested positive for lead. 

Some of the same chemicals found in pipes, pesticides, and floor tiles have been found in wigs and hair extensions, according to NBC.

For the study, Dr. Franklin purchased 43 popular hair extension products online as well as from local beauty supply stores. She categorized the products by fiber type: synthetic (mostly plastic polymers) or bio-based (including human, banana or silk) then coded them by their claims. Nineteen of the synthetic samples claimed to be flame retardant, three were water resistant, nine heat resistant, and three carried “green” claims such as “no PVC” or “non-toxic.”

The researchers used a technique called non-targeted analysis to screen the samples for a wide range of chemicals, including compounds that are not usually sought out when products are tested. The team detected over 900 chemical signatures, including both known as well as unknown substances. Machine-learning software was then used to match these signatures to a chemical library, where they ultimately identified 169 chemicals across nine major structural classes.

The analysis revealed dozens of hazardous substances linked with cancer, hormone disruption, birth defects, reproductive issues, developmental problems and effects on the immune system.

These chemicals included four flame retardants, in addition to phthalates, pesticides, styrene, tetrachloroethane, and organotins. Specifically, 10 percent of samples contained toxic organotins, some with concentrations that exceed health-based levels that were set in the European Union, where the chemicals are regulated.
A total of 48 chemicals appeared on major hazard lists, a dozen of which are listed under California's Proposition 65, known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. This state law requires businesses to provide clear warnings before exposing people to chemicals known to cause cancer or reproductive harm.
Also, 17 chemicals that are related to breast cancer were found in 36 of the samples, including compounds that are known to alter hormones in ways that increase cancer risk.

Additionally, a 2023 Black Women's Health Study reported that there is a 50% increased risk of uterine cancer in postmenopausal women who used chemical hair relaxers more than twice per year or for more than 5 years in comparison to a cohort that rarely ever used relaxers. 

Furthermore, a study from The National Environmental Health Sciences determined that those who used hair relaxers more than 4 times per year more than doubled their chances of developing uterine cancer. The chemicals can be inhaled and absorbed through the hands, particularly when the chemicals are heated.
All but two samples contained hazardous chemicals, and both of those were labeled as “non-toxic” or “toxic-free. However, Dr. Franklin also cautioned consumers to beware of those brands as well.