policy
Two members of the US House of Representatives initially urged the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to analyze the health risks of hair straighteners, that are used primarily by black women, in 2023. Now they’re asking the agency why it has twice postponed its planned date for proposing a ban on products containing formaldehyde, which studies have shown to guide to increased cancer rates.
Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Shontel Brown of Ohio urged the FDA in a letter to finalize the proposed rule banning certain hair straighteners for salon and residential use. Rep. Nydia Velazquez of New York joined Pressley and Brown in signing the letter, which is dated Tuesday.
The FDA announced a possible rule for 2023 and had initially set an April goal date for publishing the proposal. The date was then pushed back to July after which to September.
The letter from Pressley, Brown and Velazquez – all of whom are running for re-election this 12 months – asks FDA Commissioner Robert Califf to offer specific reasons for the delay.
Pressley told the Associated Press that one reason black women seek hair straightening treatments is because they face discrimination due to their hair.
“If you Google unprofessional hairstyles for work right now, you're inundated with images of black women,” said Pressley, who also believes further delay may lead to more health issues for communities of color. “Everything from protective hairstyles, Senegalese twists or braids like I wore for many years, to Afros or locs… I just want everyone to be able to show up fully, authentically, with no regrets, without fear, without discrimination.”
It's not unusual for the FDA to have issues on its regulatory agenda for years. For example, a draft of a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes was released in 2022, however the deadline for finalizing the rule was pushed back twice before being postponed indefinitely in April.
When asked in regards to the letter, an FDA spokesperson told AP that officials would respond on to lawmakers. Last month, the agency said the proposed ban was still one among its top priorities and was within the legislative process, but couldn’t comment to AP on the timing or content of the proposal.
Black women and ladies of other ethnicities have been using chemical hair straightening treatments for a long time, and lots of the straighteners, creams and keratin treatments contain formaldehyde – a chemical utilized in pesticides and to preserve dead bodies.
A 2022 study from the National Institutes of Health found that folks who used hair straighteners had an increased risk of developing uterine cancer. A 2023 study from Boston University found that postmenopausal women who used hair straighteners most steadily had a greater than 50% increased risk of uterine cancer than women who used them rarely.
Thousands of lawsuits allege that cosmetic firms that make a number of the hair straighteners misrepresented the products' “health effects” and exposed plaintiffs to chemicals that increased the danger of uterine and ovarian cancer. Some also claim they became infertile after using the products.
In an October social media video, the FDA reminded that there is no such thing as a ban yet and that the agency plans to work with the cosmetics industry to encourage them to develop alternative hair straightening products.
image credit : www.boston.com