Toxic Chemicals Found in Hair Extensions Popular Among Black Women, Study Warns

A new study by the Silent Spring Institute has raised alarms over the presence of cancer-linked chemicals in hair extensions commonly used by Black women. Researchers tested 43 products—both synthetic and human hair—purchased online and from beauty supply stores, detecting 169 distinct chemicals. These included flame retardants, pesticides, and plastic-stabilising compounds.

Twelve of the identified chemicals are listed under California’s Proposition 65, a regulation requiring warnings for substances known to cause cancer, birth defects, or reproductive harm. Seventeen compounds found were previously associated with breast cancer and were present in 36 of the tested samples. Earlier research has also uncovered carcinogens and lead in popular braiding hair brands.

Chemical hair relaxers and straighteners pose similar concerns. A 2023 report from the Black Women’s Health Study found that postmenopausal Black women who frequently used relaxers faced a 50% higher risk of uterine cancer. Meanwhile, a 2022 study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences linked regular straightener use to more than double the risk of developing uterine cancer. Uterine cancer accounted for roughly 3% of new cancer cases in the U.S. in 2025.

Dr. Chris Pernell, director of the NAACP Center for Health Equity, warned that harmful chemicals in braiding hair can be absorbed through the scalp, inhaled during styling, or transferred through hand contact, putting both wearers and stylists at heightened risk.