Report finds synthetic hair marketed to Black women contains carcinogens and lead

Ingredients that can cause cancer were found in 10 synthetic hair products marketed to Black women, according to Consumer Reports. Nine of the products also contained lead. NBC News' Zinhle Essamuah reports on the new health warning and what it means for consumers. 

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[HerManeLife]

Unfortunately, this is not news. The information is just becoming mainstream.

[lmjr]

This is why diversity in newsroom is paramount

[hightolerance]

Shout out to the studio correspondent that's rocking her natural💙💙💙

[precioustendo]

There’s a lady based in Uganda I watched on cnn that makes braids out of banana fiber and uses natural dyes. It is a step in the right direction and would be a game changer if it expands.

[nicoleraheem]

That's why alot of black women have traction alopecia, dry, and shedding hair. Yet, everyone of us has " longer and healthier hair with hair grease, water, and a straighting comb" childhood story. Go figure .

[Naked_Rider_Joe]

They should pull those products. Or people should sue.

[dariuslynard]

I'm glad someone conducted and shared this research. Black women should not have to risk lead exposure from beauty products of all things smdh.

[OptimusPrime-xx]

It’s not just synthetic hair. It’s clothes as well. Cheap crap you expose your body too.

[Rose-qhqh]

Going natural is always the BEST route !!!!

[Mariechy]

Like Michael Jackson said “all I wanna say is that they don’t really care about us”.

[davisamills]

I honestly think this is what's causing so many of us to develop fibroids

[rachelmm]

Its not just for synthetic braiding hair but also for synthetic wigs, frontals, toupees, and synthetic sew-ins of all colors and textures. A lot of the synthetic products are made the same way, with the same ingredients and chemicals. Please keep that in mind
*Heres a tip: If you use synthetic hair of any kind, regardless of your race or gender, you can soak in ACV (apple cider vinegar) and baking soda, rinse out, let dry then add to your hair...This reduces chemical in the hair and possible reactions.
Oan: The hair industry is big business. Don't think that just cause its specifically 10 brands that that were mentioned that things like bleaching the hair, putting in perms, relaxers doesn't harm the hair and body... Those things r loaded with harmful chemicals and are definitely dangerous.
I know for myself once these harsh toxins were removed from my hair routine my inflammation reduced, my skin cleared and my scalp irritation went away.

[kesando]

I love how the black woman on the panel is wearing natural hair. It’s almost as if she already knew

[tuvoca]

Natural is beautiful. We can learn to embrace it again right?

[nessforbes]

This is why NBC needs the diversity. Only a black woman could’ve delivered this and explained what was really going on ❤😮😢

[aliglo]

Great! We can all be natural beauties again!!

[nancycole-auguste]

WHO AND WHY PUT THOSE CHEMICALS IN THERE!!

[jermelpurse]

Black man with nieces who wear braids and synthetic hair this worries me, but I’m going to ask a tough question which this report didn’t address properly. While they found these carcinogens in the hair, they didn’t discuss amounts. PPM for example would’ve been great to know. If you say you found lead in this synthetic hair, you typically don’t want any lead but if you found these other carcinogens and other synthetic materials, how much did you find in the hair exactly. That does matter because if it’s not enough to affect the human body, then this is no big deal but you don’t tell people if it’s enough to affect them.

They found oh my goodness cancer causing carcinogens in Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The problem was you’d have to eat over 100, 000 servings of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream to even have a chance of some of that getting in your body. You would die from the sugar intake from eating all those servings of ice cream long before the carcinogen even had a chance of showing up in your body, and even if it did, it would have been so small that it would not have increased your chances of getting cancer. So quantity or ppm of a carcinogen is always important. Don’t just tell us it’s there you have to tell us in what quantities it is there

[YaHzDizciple]

I am so grateful my wife went "natural" with her hair in 2013.

[MadameJaneDoe]

Stopped with synthetic braids 10 years ago... hair is healthier.

If im being honest, my common sense told me it was damaging my scalp, follicles, and strains but i kept on.

I did it for 20 yrs...