After more than a decade of fighting to get formaldehyde banned from hair straightening products, the FDA is now considering a proposal.
According to the American Cancer Society, research has proved that this chemical has been linked to cancers in females, predominantly black women. I wonder why the FDA took such a long time to consider banning it.
“The fact that formaldehyde is still allowed in hair care products is mind-blowing to me,” Linda Birnbaum, former director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences said.
One fact about the harmful side of formaldehyde in hair care products is that it can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory system upon exposure. This irritation may manifest as redness, itching, burning sensation, watery eyes, coughing or difficulty breathing.
The FDA regulates whether the products we use are safe or not, therefore decades worth of research should have been considered a long time ago. The proposed ban may be a little too late as years of damage cannot be erased.
“I don’t feel as though the FDA waited too long to ban this chemical, information is always changing and the FDA has to monitor this,” Ayana Brown, a health science major said.
By law, the FDA must consider all chemicals innocent until proven guilty, but it should not take over 10 years to do so.
Many people like myself were not aware that this chemical is linked to cancer and rely on hair straightening products daily. “I was aware of this chemical being in relaxers and the link to cancer, and the FDA did wait too long to propose this ban,” Health Science major, Talin Campbell said.
Unfortunately, not all consumers use their discretion in looking at what chemicals are in the products they use, and this is where the FDA is trusted to guide us.
A plan to halt the production of these products should have been implemented when the first round of investigations began years ago.
The public should have been made aware that research and studies were being conducted so discretion could be used. The proposal is scheduled to be unveiled in April and hopefully will be effective.
