A California Hairdresser Claims Popular Hair Dye Products Gave Him Bladder Cancer: His Lawsuit, But What Does The Science Say?

His lawyer, attorney Allen Smith, told the news outlet, “We’re not talking about chemicals in hair dyes that might be carcinogenic or possibly carcinogenic. These are known chemicals that cause cancer.”

Corvera said his diagnosis has “ruined” his life, adding, “I’m not normal anymore, having to think of it every day, whether this is going to come back.”

He hopes the lawsuit will result in a change in how the product are marketed and distributed, saying that the companies “need to be clear and honest with the consumer and tell them what’s in the product.”

“Give some warnings if there is such a thing that is causing this and be honest with the people,” he continued.

Additionally, Anne McTiernan, an epidemiologist at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, told NBC News, “Hair dyes are full of carcinogens. For hairdressers, it’s really clear that the occupation is problematic.” As for studies from 2010, the World Health Organization’s cancer research wing, dubbed the hairdresser occupation “probably carcinogenic to humans,” due to “consistent evidence” of heightened risk for bladder cancer for those in the hair industry, NBC News reports.

It’s important to understand that while many people and companies embrace hair dye, occasional concerns arise about its potential link to cancer. However, following a thorough review of numerous studies, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) conclusively advises that hair dyes do not pose a cancer risk.

While the general public may not face significant risks, it’s a different story for hairdressers and barbers. These professionals are exposed to certain chemicals that the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified as “probably carcinogenic” to humans. This underscores the potential health hazards they face in their line of work.

“Right now, it is controversial, and I don’t believe that there is a significant, definitive risk associated with the use of hair dyes,” Dr. Arjun Balar, Director of NYU’s Genitourinary Medical Oncology Program, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

Dr. Balar recommends people be conscious of the things that we know for certain are associated with cancer risk … like smoking and excessive alcohol.

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Hair dye can be temporary, semi-permanent, and permanent. The NCI says that in the 1970s, “manufacturers changed the components of permanent hair dye products to eliminate some of the carcinogenic chemicals.”

A 2013 study published in the International Journal of Trichology examined hair-dying usage among 263 people. Most started dying their hair in their late 20s and used mostly synthetic dyes. Among women, the vast majority understood that using hair dye during pregnancy was unsafe. Some side effects of using hair dyes from participants in the study were primarily occasional headaches and itching.

The NCI assessed studies on specific cancer types and their cancer risks related to using personal hair dyes. Bladder cancer and non-Hodgkin lymphoma had little to no association with cancer risk.

Personal hair dye use and breast cancer may pose a slightly elevated cancer risk, the NCI says.

“White women reported an increased risk of breast cancer overall, and of hormone receptor-negative breast cancers, with increasing exposure to hair dye,” the NCI said.

RELATED: Is It Worth Avoiding Certain Products To Reduce Your Cancer Risk?

Meanwhile, a 2010 meta-analysis on bladder cancer among hair dressers concluded that there is “an increased and statistically significant risk for bladder cancer among hairdressers,” especially if the hairstylist had been working in the field for at least 10 years.

Hair Care Professionals Face an Increased Cancer Risk

Haircare professionals who work with hair chemicals often risk carcinogenic exposure, which increases significantly compared to an ordinary person dying their hair a few times a year.

A report published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine highlighted certain jobs that come with added cancer risk.

“Women working in hairdressing-related occupations are exposed to hundreds of chemicals at high concentrations, including hair dyes, shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and cosmetic products,” the study reads. In our study, employment in hairdressing-related occupations and exposure to 12 agents prevalent in these occupations were suggestively associated with increased risks of ovarian cancer.”

Researchers examined environmental exposures, including cooking fumes, cotton dust, and cosmetic talc, to help determine risk. Hairdressers, beauticians, and barbers with at least three years of experience far exceeded other occupations regarding ovarian cancer risks, such as accountants, embroiderers, salespeople, and nurses.

However, a study from 2020, published in the BMJ medical journal found no link between personal use of permanent hair due and cancer risk for most cancers. The study authors did note how a “slightly higher risk” was found of basal cell carcinoma, several types of breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

The study authors also noted, “Current epidemiological evidence remains inconclusive, therefore concern exists about the carcinogenic potential of personal use of permanent hair dye, which is the most aggressive type and the most extensively used.”

Hair Straighteners and Relaxers Pose Cancer Risks

In 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) said, “Women who used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not.”

The study impacted Black women in particular because they were more likely to use hair straighteners and to use them at earlier ages to meet Eurocentric beauty standards, which emphasize light skin and straight hair, the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health explains.

A 2020 study published in the International Journal of Cancer suggested that permanent hair dye, hair straighteners, and relaxers “may increase breast and ovarian cancer risk.”

RELATED: What Are the Risk Factors for Bladder Cancer?

Some hair dyes, straighteners, and relaxers contain chemicals such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde, which may increase cancer risk.

Formaldehyde is considered “carcinogenic to humans” and can contribute to leukemia and nasopharyngeal cancer, the American Cancer Society says.

Research published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health says that parabens and bisphenol A are endocrine disruptors (endocrine-disruptive chemicals, EDCs). Parabens, in particular, can be found in a wide range of products people use daily, from hair products to food and pharmaceuticals. The potential issue arises because they can mimic estrogen hormones and affect breast cell growth.

Understanding Bladder Cancer

Bladder cancer is the sixth most common type of cancer overall in the United States, though it is the fourth most common for men. Your bladder is a hollow, muscular, balloon-shaped organ that expands as it fills with urine. The bladder is an essential part of your urinary system, which also includes two kidneys, two ureters and the urethra.

Bladder Cancer: Overview

Bladder cancer develops when cells that make up the urinary bladder start to grow and eventually develop into tumors. Smoking is a leading risk factor for this disease with smokers being three times more likely to be diagnosed with bladder cancer than non-smokers.

Bladder cancer occurs mainly in older people. About 9 out of 10 people with this cancer are over the age of 55. The average age of people when they are diagnosed is 73. Fortunately, many diagnoses are caught at an early stage, when the cancer is highly treatable. However, it is common for new occurrences or recurrences to occur even after successful treatments. Patients typically need follow-up tests done years after treatment.

As for what increased bladder cancer risk, there are risk factors that make you more likely to develop bladder cancer. These include:

• Tobacco exposure: Smoking is the greatest risk factor for bladder cancer.
• Sex: Males are diagnosed with bladder cancer more often than females.
• Chemical exposure: Some chemicals used in dyes, rubber, leather, printing material, textiles, and paint products have been linked to risk of bladder cancer
• Age: The risk of bladder cancer increases as you age.
• Genetic risk factors: Certain genetic alterations can predispose you to a higher bladder cancer risk. Lynch syndrome, for example, is a set of genetic alterations that can be passed among generations in a family and is associated with higher bladder cancer risk. If you have a first degree relative with bladder cancer you may have a higher bladder cancer risk yourself.

Dr. Jay Shah, a staff surgeon, urologic oncologist and associate professor of urology at Stanford University, discusses the symptoms of bladder cancer.

Environmental Triggers

Dr. Robert Wright, chair of the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York says cancer is not caused by one trigger, but it could be a combination of triggers in the environment.

“Cancer isn’t caused by one event, typically, it’s usually a series or combination of events,” Dr. Wright told SurvivorNet in a previous interview. “So, it may be that you ate a lot of charred food, it may be that you’re also a smoker, it may be that you’ve inherited a genetic susceptibility to be a little bit more sensitive to those chemicals.”

SurvivorNetTV Presents ‘How Not to Get Cancer: Environment’

The mystery of why some people will develop cancer while others do not after being exposed to the same carcinogen is still stumping researchers.

“Most cancers are not inherited. People do have some genetic susceptibility to cancer but those genes are not working by themselves. There has to be something in the environment that triggers it,” Dr. Wright explained.

“So, if you can avoid that environmental trigger, even if you have a genetic susceptibility to cancer, you can avoid it by avoiding the environmental triggers. What we really need is research to try and understand what those environmental triggers are in people who have different sets of genes,” he added.

What happens next for the field of medicine is trying to be more precise with recommended lifestyle choices or telling people to avoid specific foods or products to greatly reduce their personal cancer risk.

“We may know that particular types of genetics actually make you at higher risk, but we don’t know why [with] two twins that have the exact same set of genes, one will get cancer and the other won’t,” he said.

“It’s the environment that’s clearly the difference in that scenario, so measuring the environment is really critical to understanding how the genetics work.”

Are the Toxins in Our Environment Making Us Sick?

As we saw above, Dr. Wright explains that no one trigger causes cancer and many questions about environmental triggers are still unanswered. However we still see a number of products promoting themselves as ‘all-natural’ or ‘organic’ or ‘toxin-free’ and thereby reducing cancer risks in people who use them.

One example is actress and cancer survivor Fran Drescher’s non-profit Cancer Schmancer, which aims to educate women about cancer prevention and early diagnosis. While the organization is commendable for trying to help women make informed decisions about their health, it also asks some of the same questions so many of us ask about what’s harmful to our health as it promotes a “Detox Your Home” initiative.

Toxins in Our Environment. Are They Affected Us?

“Read labels and start getting back to a more natural life,” says Drescher in a previous interview with SurvivorNet.

Drescher and Dr. Heather Yeo, a surgical oncologist and medical advisor to SurvivorNet, sat-down together to discuss some of the organization’s claims, which scientific data does not support.

“It’s difficult to study environmental causes,” said Dr. Yeo. However, while there are certain obvious environmental factors that are harmful like the sun and cigarette smoke she cautions against going overboard.

“I do think that many times there is hysteria around things that we have been exposed to for years that have demonstrably not caused cancer,” she said.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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