Study finds dangerous chemicals in synthetic hair brands

It is not just about fashion, it’s a long-standing tradition. Black women across the world spend hours having synthetic braids put in their hair.

The hairstyles can be worn for weeks at a time, protecting the hair from breakage and exposure to the elements.

But now, a study by a United States-based consumer advocacy group, Consumer Reports, has found that many popular brands contain a host of dangerous chemicals.

The report has left women wondering whether the protection braiding gives their natural hair is worth the health risk.

However, not everyone agrees.

“It’s been a part of our culture for years. I don’t think braids is going anywhere. We’ve been getting them since we were young. Like we getting braids at two, three,” says hairstylist Jahzé Wyse.

All 10 products tested by Consumer Reports contained cancer-causing agents, while 9 of them had unsafe levels of lead.

James Rodgers, the head of product safety at the organisation says the safety of hair products was brought to its attention during conversations with Black women.

“We found issues with these products. Here are the issues: heavy metals and volatile organic compounds. And we suspect that if we had tested wider, we would have found more samples.”

Consumer Reports suggests reducing time between braiding events and to be aware of the potential dangers.

It is petitioning the Food and Drug Administration to begin regulating synthetic braiding hair.

While some experts say Consumer Reports’ findings are concerning, others question its conclusions because of the lack of a peer-review process and issues with the report’s methodology.

All agree, however, that more research is needed into synthetic braids and other products.

Rodgers, who led the Consumer Reports study, said his hope was to get the information out there because of the lack of research.

He noted that it was a pilot project, but that “we thought the results were important enough to start the conversation”.