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Beauty, black hair, cancer, Conversations, FYI, Hair Care, Healthcare, In the Know

Recent Reports about Hair Straighteners & Uterine Cancer

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Disconcerting information about uterine cancer – a rare type of cancer, has resurfaced in the news recently. A study from the National Institutes of Health revealed that women who use hair straightening products at least 4 times a year are twice as likely to develop uterine cancer.

And, Black Women are at a higher risk. Below are some key points listed in the article. Use the source links in this post to get a detailed description of the study.

Key Points

  • Uterine cancer is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer in women around the world.
  • A new study from the National Institutes of Health has found that women who use hair straightening products are twice as likely to develop uterine cancer than those who do not.
  • Researchers believe Black women may be at increased risk due to a higher usage rate of hair straightening products.
    Source: Uterine cancer: Chemical hair straighteners double risk (medicalnewstoday.com)

The information is both important and disturbing. After reading the articles, you may want to consult your care providers for more information and recommendations specific to your personal circumstances. One question, which comes to mind is does the study indicate that other types of cancer may also be attributed to hair straighteners?

Additional Source:
WEBMD HEALTH NEWS,  Article written by Lisa O’Mary
https://www.webmd.com/beauty/news/20221018/hair-straightening-products-linked-uterine-cancer-risk-study

The harmful ingredients in hair straightening products are:

  • Ammonium thioglycolate (found in relaxer/straightener products that do not use lye)
  • Guanidine hydroxide (found in relaxer/straightener products that do not use lye)
  • Mineral oil
  • Polyethylene glycol
  • Sodium hydroxide (found in relaxer/straightener products that use lye)
    Source: medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002706.htm

All the best in Wellness!

Beauty

Beauty & Health Wise

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canstockphoto16025243[1]Hairblues, as many of you have noticed, expanded the topics covered on this blog to more than just hair stuff. As I explore the www for beauty and health-wise topics, it becomes more of a challenge to get that information to you in a timely fashion.  After all, many of us find that we are swamped with email. Therefore, I have purposely kept my posts to once or twice a month to avoid being the clutter in your e-box. The end of September seems like a good time to bring you some topics I think are timely as we head into the fall and soon to be winter months in New York. I am hopeful you will also find these topics and links useful.
♦ SPF creams are good for our skincare. sunscreenDermatologists recommend using sunscreen every day when you are outside, not just during the summer.
https://www.aad.org/media/stats/prevention-and-care/sunscreen-faqs

♥ Your Winter Face –fall coldLips – ‘Studies show that .6 percent of all cancers in the US are on the lips, and men are especially at risk. The lower lip, which receives greater sun exposure, is especially vulnerable to squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), the second most common skin cancer. Protect your lips from sun damage as well as chapping and peeling with a lip balm, stick or gloss sunscreen.‘ http://www.skincancer.org/news/holidays-seasons/your-winter-face

 

recreate_yourselfWinter Hair

One unexpected secret to keep your hair looking good in the winter is to invest in a humidifier. I know you’re thinking that humidity equals frizzy hair, but when you have the heat on, the air in your apartment becomes very dry and I find the humidifier helps stop your hair and skin from feeling dry. The main problem with the humidifier is that they’re not very nice-looking. I recently found a great one by Middle that looks chic and works great. Style-secrets Winter Hair Tips Winter Haircare

canstockphoto13252072[1]Different seasons require different care techniques to maintain healthy hair. While you might wear your tresses out much more often in the summer and rely on carefree styles when it’s warm outside, your mane routine will change during winter if you want to maintain healthy locks. Here are some winter hair care tips that will keep your tresses in great shape so that when spring rolls around, your tresses will be ready to face warm weather in good health. via: http://blackhair.about.com/od/basiccare/tp/winterhaircaretips.htm

Beauty

Kelleemudiva’s Beauty Blog | All Things Women Love

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canstockphoto13252072[1]I truly enjoy discovering new blogs and I am delighted to share Kelleemudiva’s Beauty Blog with you.  As we celebrate Black History Month; I am confident that you will find new ideas on this blog to enhance your beauty regimen.

 

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In honor of celebrating phenomenal contributions to the African-American community, I wanted to recognize those, who in my opinion have made a significant contribution to how we interpret black beauty and how it translates into the beauty industry.  The black community spends 9 times more than any other ethnic group on beauty and hair care products in the United States (African American Consumer Report 2013), yet the beauty industry fails to offer a range of product options to meet black consumer needs.  I would like to recognize Vloggers and Bloggers who have spent years on the web offering their insight on how to utilize products to meet our needs while encouraging us to embrace our beauty. via Kelleemudiva’s Beauty Blog | All Things Women Love.

 

Beauty, black hair

Black Beauties Celebrate Black History Month

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canstockphoto4506025[1]For too many generations, beautiful black women worried whether their beauty was something to celebrate.  As a matter of fact, for too long their hair was thought by some to be  a source of embarrassment! canstockphoto15964695[1] Oh my goodness, get caught in the rain and get it wet!  What a disaster!  Flash forward . And how wonderful it is to see today’s young, old, beautiful black women of  many hues celebrate their hair, as well as their beautiful diversity. With that said, as we celebrate African-American beauty, we will bring you tips for taking ‘beautiful’ care of yourself, including your hair.

Click the picture below to see 12 Beauty Blogs for Natural Hair

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Beauty, Beauty Change, black hair, HairBlues POV

Can Black (Kinky) Hair Be Beautiful?

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Sometimes at HairBlues I like to take a “time-out” to focus on a particular topic: today’s pause is to consider (again) “what is considered Beauty”?  In other posts I have discussed “Bald” as a beauty statement, and “how to deal with making your hair loss beautiful”.  We’ve focused on weaves and wigs as beauty statements. In this post the focus is  on African-American (Kinky Hair), and where we are as women who wear this hairstyle as a fashion and beauty statement.

Everywhere I go these days I see beautiful  natural (kinky) hairstyles worn by both  young and mature black women.  As a baby boomer, I am only a little jealous that many of those styles had not been thought of when I first strutted my Afro hairstyle :).  But, after more than 40 years since black women freed themselves from the stigma of having “bad” hair, and James Brown (the Godfather of soul) made it clear that being Black was something to be proud of (which included natural, unprocessed or straightened hair worn by black women) this discussion is still going on – that is to say – black hair not traditionally combed is not necessarily considered a thing of beauty on black women.

What a wonderful thing that black women have progressed even further to feeling comfortable with “wash & wearing” their hair without combing it out.  I remember when I first did that over 30 years ago how mortified my Mom (rest her soul) was that I was going outside without “picking” my hair out.

Nowadays it warms my heart every time I see a young woman who has the freedom and courage to wear her “natural” hair.  But, is there a price she is going to pay for doing that? Apparently, the answer is YES – for some black women. However, an article by Demetria L. Lucas, “Why Does My Natural Hair Get No Love”, published on The Root (http://www.theroot.com),  suggests that oftentimes our conclusions about “not getting any love for natural hair” may need self-reflection, as well as self-reliance.

At Hairblues we agree:  Beauty after all is not only in the eye of the beholder, but in the heart and mind of the “Beheld”.

See you at the next post!

Beauty, HairBlues POV

Gabby: Golden Beauty!

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BEAUTY– how it gets defined is always intriguing . I once read a story about a person who had no teeth. The person sharing the story reported she had never seen such a beautiful human being.  The beauty she said was in the happiness of his eyes  and smile.  It was in his demeanor. Everyone who was lucky enough to be in this person’s presence felt mesmerized by the beauty this person radiated.  No teeth. And beautiful nevertheless.

How many of you were fortunate enough to see  the young, and beautiful African-American woman Gabrielle (Gabby) Douglas perform in the Gymnastics competitions? How many of you saw her fly through the air with sheer strength, precision, and grace?  Courage in its highest form.  This young woman took her body to the level of winning a GOLD medal! She is the first African-American woman to win the All Around in the history of the Olympic games.

Well, if you were one of the many focusing on Gabby’s hairdo, I’m afraid you missed the show…and you missed history in the making.

At HairBlues we were astounded by the conversation that evolved during Gabby’s Olympic performances. We considered that those who were discussing Gabby ‘s hairdo had possibly missed the show. That is the only way we could explain this mind-boggling occurrence!

 True Beauty ♦ Excellence

 

The show Gabrielle Douglas gave the world was singular in its accomplishment.  That’s how she earned the Gold Medal for the United States. She is the best in the world, folks, in her Olympic category  the All-Around.

As the saying goes “let’s  not get it twisted”. How many feats can you do (or anyone you know) flying through the air – and keep your hairdo in place at the same time?

We at HairBlues Congratulate Gabrielle Douglas –  an Olympic Golden Beauty. Let’s focus on the importance of that accomplishment! Hairdos come, go, and change.

Olympic History is forever! Let’s be proud that an African-American woman has made history as an American unforgettable, and girls around the world have a beautiful new image to emulate!

Let’s keep a Beautiful Focus !