NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe speaks to researcher Elissia Franklin a couple of new research which discovered harmful chemical compounds in some generally used hair extensions.
AYESHA RASCOE, HOST:
The hair salon would possibly look like a secure house socially talking, however sadly, not in the case of harmful chemical compounds lurking in widespread remedies. There’s been plenty of research on the poisonous chemical compounds in some hair straighteners and relaxers, however a brand new research exhibits that some hair extensions additionally comprise dangerous chemical compounds in increased ranges than beforehand thought. Analysis scientist Elissia Franklin is the lead writer of that research on the Silent Spring Institute, and he or she joins me now. Welcome to this system.
ELISSIA FRANKLIN: Thanks a lot for having me.
RASCOE: Inform us a bit about what you present in these hair extensions.
FRANKLIN: Yeah. So we began off with simply wanting to know the chemical composition of the hair extensions general. So throughout all of the samples that we examined, we discovered over 900 chemical compounds in whole, however we did need it to slender down and perceive what number of of those really can doubtlessly trigger hurt in people, and so we recognized 48 chemical compounds of well being concern. For instance, we discovered a number of phthalates. So it is a class of chemical compounds that’s usually present in shopper merchandise, and they’re recognized hormone disruptors and have been related to issues like reproductive points or infertility and start defects.
RASCOE: Silent Spring Institute focuses on researching the hyperlinks between chemical compounds and ladies’s well being, so you’ve got seemingly seen a whole lot of issues like this can be uncovered, however had been you stunned by any of the findings in your research?
FRANKLIN: Yeah, so the bigger thought of there being chemical compounds of well being concern in these hair extensions didn’t shock us. However one class of chemical compounds that did stand out to us was this class known as organotin compounds, and these stood out to us as a result of they aren’t usually present in shopper merchandise usually. And so to seek out them in a product that is used so intimately – it is sitting in your scalp, it is in your neck – and these are chemical compounds which have been related to most cancers and endocrine disruption.
RASCOE: And so if you discuss hair extensions, are you speaking about human hair extensions? Are you speaking in regards to the sort that you simply use to braid into your hair? There are totally different sorts – the clip-ins, the sew-ins.
FRANKLIN: The entire above. So we…
RASCOE: The entire above. OK.
FRANKLIN: We expanded our research past artificial braiding hair, which I do know particularly Black girls have been actually elevating concern about for some time simply due to a few of the labeling. Like, it is – it will say one thing like flame retardant. And we all know that flame retardant chemical compounds are related to totally different dangerous well being outcomes, proper? However we expanded this research to have a look at human hair, and even we examined a silk-based eyelash, proper? – and we recognized a number of chemical compounds of well being concern in these kind of merchandise.
RASCOE: Within the eyelash extension too?
FRANKLIN: Within the eyelash extensions, sure (laughter).
RASCOE: OK. OK. Nicely, is there a regulating physique that appears at what goes into hair extensions and weaves?
FRANKLIN: I’m no regulation professional, however what I do know is that as of now, there is no such thing as a requirement for these hair extensions to have any labeling on it or to inform us precisely what chemical compounds are in it. , now there are extra efforts to control these merchandise. So I do know the state of New York and the state of New Jersey try to place forth and have launched payments to raised regulate artificial braiding hair. However for now, these merchandise have largely gone with none scrutiny or with out regulation.
RASCOE: In your research, you level out that round 70% of Black girls within the U.S. put on some form of hair extension – wig or weave – not less than every year. I obtained my wig on proper now.
FRANKLIN: I had mine on final week (laughter).
RASCOE: Yeah, you already know. So, I imply, are there safer alternate options? And what do you say to these people who find themselves like, look, y’all can have it since you mentioned we won’t do the relaxers. We will not put an excessive amount of warmth on our heads. What can we do?
FRANKLIN: The merchandise that had been labeled as unhazardous did have decrease hazards. Now, there’s a caveat to this, proper? That label will not be regulated. Corporations can slap that label on there, and in order that’s why I am, like, hesitant about sharing that. But additionally understanding that that was what our research instructed is that some had not one of the hazardous chemical compounds that we recognized, however then some had – had been on the decrease finish of that. We even have restricted proof that the rinsing that I do know I’ve seen on YouTube and that people have been doing for some time – we do know anecdotally that it does assist with decreasing irritation, but it surely does take away a few of the chemical compounds that we recognized in these samples as nicely. So there’s that.
RASCOE: So will you be doing extra research on this, and if that’s the case, what is going to you be specializing in?
FRANKLIN: Yeah. So we’re desiring to observe up on a number of of those research. We actually hope that from this work, that there’s extra effort to control these merchandise and think about what are a few of the different merchandise that we ought to be looking for which have prevented scrutiny for thus lengthy.
RASCOE: That is analysis scientist Elissia Franklin of the Silent Spring Institute. Thanks a lot for talking with us right now.
FRANKLIN: Thanks a lot for having me. It has been a pleasure.
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