The Sister Study, led by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in 2022, along with other research, provides compelling evidence that addresses long-standing racial health disparities. These findings have sparked lawsuits involving nearly 9,000 plaintiffs and potential federal regulatory action.
Dr. Tamarra James-Todd from Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, herself a Black woman, has been a driving force behind extensive studies investigating these disparities. Personal experiences, including childhood use of chemical relaxers, have motivated her research.
Scientific evidence now confirms that these hair products, marketed primarily to Black women, contain endocrine-disrupting substances linked to early menstruation onset and a range of reproductive health issues. These include uterine fibroids, preterm birth, infertility, and various cancers such as breast, ovarian, and uterine cancers, which disproportionately affect Black women.
The FDA’s proposal to ban formaldehyde from these products, announced in October 2023, is still pending implementation. However, many other potentially harmful ingredients in hair relaxers remain under-regulated in the United States.
Despite these challenges, ongoing efforts emphasize the importance of health disparities research and the urgent need to prioritize the well-being of women of color.