Hair product health fears as one in three with Afro hair report physical impact

Hair product health fears as one in three with Afro hair report physical impact New World Afro day research has sparked fresh calls for scrutiny over products aimed at Afro hair, as campaigners and experts raise concerns about safety, regulation and the use of chemical treatments Sarah-Jane Crawford was just 13 when she first began chemically straightening her hair, inspired by the sleek styles of the R&B stars she grew up watching. At the time, the TV and radio presenter gave little thought to the potential effects of the products she was using - something she now believes consumers should be better informed about. Her experience comes as new World Afro Day research found one in three people with Afro-textured hair said hair products had negatively affected their physical health, compared with one in 10 without Afro hair. The findings, based on responses from 1,442 people, were released to mark the 10th World Afro Day. Michelle De Leon, who founded World Afro Day in 2017, said: “You cannot argue with health evidence if something shows you in a quantifiable way that it impacts somebody’s health.” She said: “We’ve got big beauty brands who have products that are aimed to introduce chemicals to children’s bodies to make them feel more beautiful and more acceptable to a European standard of beauty and that is wrong. I don’t even understand how we can justify chemical cosmetic treatments for children any children but actually for black children this has been going on for decades through chemical relaxers.” Research in the US has also examined the possible health effects of hair straightener use from a young age. A 2025 study using data from more than 4,000 Black women in the US Sister Study found hair straightener use between the ages of 10 and 13 may be associated with young-onset uterine fibroids. Sarah-Jane had a fibroid the size of a grapefruit removed in 2015 and said the research has made her reflect on her own health. The former Xtra Factor presenter told the Mirror: “One thing I do know is that the research time and time again keeps on pointing back to there being a link between regular relaxer use and things like fibroids, especially with the sister study that was done in the U.S. “And I can’t say whether there’s definitely, it’s definitely been like hair relaxer use that’s caused the fibroids. I’ll never know that for sure.” Michelle said: “But all the evidence, all the evidence shows that hair products aimed at Afro hair have higher levels of harmful chemicals in them. Just the evidence is there. Yet regulation has not responded to this.” Hair relaxers are regulated as cosmetics in Britain and must comply with cosmetic safety rules. But questions over whether existing protections and evidence go far enough have reached Parliament. Parliament’s Science, Innovation and Technology Committee launched an inquiry into hair and beauty products in December 2025, examining whether UK regulation effectively assesses scientific evidence and protects consumers from potential harm. In 2023, Labour MP Chi Onwurah had also asked whether the Government had assessed the impact of lye-containing hair relaxers on Black women’s health and associated health inequalities. The Department for Business and Trade said such an assessment had not been carried out, while stressing that lye was already restricted under cosmetics regulations. Sarah-Jane, who has also experienced endometriosis and is now in perimenopause, said she has wondered whether years of using straightening products could have affected her reproductive health. She said: “I feel like if I hadn’t been using certain products I may have been able to go on to have more children. I just can’t prove it.” Looking back, Sarah-Jane wishes she had known possible risks from a young age. She said: “I think what’s disappointing is that if I had known the serious potential impact of these products, I definitely would have avoided them. But because there wasn’t that fear factor, I thought the worst that was going to happen is that I was going to have a scab on the side of my head.” A 2023 study by researchers at Boston University, using data from almost 45,000 women in the Black Women’s Health Study, found long-term chemical relaxer use was associated with an increased risk of uterine cancer among postmenopausal Black women, although no such link was found among premenopausal women. Laura Waters, Professor of Pharmaceutical Analysis at the University of Huddersfield said: “Most worryingly to me is the availability of these products to children as they are easily available on the high street. It would be great if there is more awareness of just how dangerous these products can potentially be." “Any chemicals will have been through rigorous toxicity testing to be included in such products so they are considered ‘safe’ to use but it doesn’t necessarily mean we should be relaxed about their use.” The World Afro Day survey also found 84% of respondents said it was very important that people could trust hair product ingredients were not harmful. Sarah said: “I was using a lot of harsh chemicals to get a quick result: clean, flatten, burn, straighten. And so just thinking they had absolutely no impact. You know, it’s on the market. I can buy it. Why is it going to be unsafe?” Her concerns eventually compelled her to start her own haircare company, Clean Curls. World Afro Day was founded in 2017 and has since expanded beyond its celebration of Afro hair into research, education and campaigning. Reflecting on the milestone, Michelle said: "Celebration mission accomplished - 10 years of celebration but liberation, I hope it doesn’t take a a decade to get there.” The 10th World Afro Day will be marked with a three-day ‘Fro Festival in King’s Cross, London, with community catwalks, free hair and scalp health checks, panels and other events celebrating Afro hair and culture..