The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has been asked why it has twice delayed its target date to propose a ban on hair straightening products containing formaldehyde, which studies have linked to increased cancer risks.
Two members of the legislature, who had first pushed the FDA in 2023 to investigate the health risks of hair straighteners used primarily by black women, have now written to the FDA, urging it to finalise the proposed rule for banning certain salon-grade and DIY home straighteners.
Ayanna Pressley and Shontel Brown have been joined by Nydia Velazquez in spearheading the letter that was sent last week.
Medpage Today reports that the FDA gave notice of a possible rule in 2023 with an initial target date to release the proposal in April. That was then moved to July before jumping to September.
The letter from the three women asks FDA Commissioner Dr Robert Califf to provide specific reasons for the delay.
It isn’t uncommon for the FDA to have items on the regulatory agenda for years. For example, the draft of a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes came out in 2022, but the target date on finalising the rule was pushed back twice before it was indefinitely delayed in April.
When asked about the letter, an FDA spokesperson said agency officials would respond directly to lawmakers. Last month, the agency said the proposed ban was still among its top priorities and in the rule-making process, but couldn't comment on the timing or content of the proposal.
Black women and women of other ethnicities have used chemical hair-straightening treatments for decades, and many of the relaxers, creams, and keratin treatments contain formaldehyde, used in pesticides and to preserve dead bodies.
A 2022 study from the National Institutes of Health found women who used hair straighteners had an increased risk of developing uterine cancer, while a 2023 study from Boston University found that post-menopausal women who used relaxers most often had a greater than 50% increased risk of uterine cancer than those who seldom used them.
Thousands of lawsuits allege that beauty companies which make some of the hair straighteners misrepresented “health impacts” of the products, and exposed plaintiffs to chemicals that increased the risk of uterine and ovarian cancers. Some also claim they experienced infertility after using the products.
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FDA stalls again on ban proposal for hair product chemicals
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