EU Bans Hair Dye Chemicals

Posted on July 20, 2006 by Gerald Pugliese
Last week Reuters reported on the link between lymphoma and hair dye. This week the European Commission announced plans to ban 22 substances in hair dye proven to cause bladder cancer. The Associated Press reports:
"Substances for which there is no proof that they are safe will disappear from the market," said European Union Industry Commissioner Guenter Verheugen. "Our high safety standards do not only protect EU consumers, they also give legal certainty to (the) European cosmetics industry."

The Commission had asked the cosmetics industry to provide safety files for all chemicals used in hair dyes to prove they do not pose a health risk for consumers.
The ban goes into effect December 1st.
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Dyeing For Lymphoma

Posted on July 12, 2006 by Gerald Pugliese
A study published in last week’s American Journal of Epidemiology reveals a link between hair dye and lymphoma risk. Reuters reports:
The researchers found an overall 19 percent increased risk of lymphoma among people who reported coloring their hair. The increased risk was 26 percent among those who used hair dye 12 or more times a year.

People who began coloring their hair before 1980 showed a 37 percent increased lymphoma risk, while those who had only dyed their hair before 1980, but not afterwards, showed a 62 percent increased risk.
Based on the findings, de Sanjose and her team calculate that roughly 10 percent of lymphomas in women could be due to the use of hair dye.
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