Relation of circulating estrogens with hair relaxer and skin lightener use among postmenopausal women in Ghana.

Female Humans Estrogens / metabolism Ghana / epidemiology Postmenopause Lye Estriol Hair

Endogenous estrogens Ghana Hair relaxer use Postmenopausal women Skin lightener use

Journal

Journal of exposure science & environmental epidemiology

ISSN: 1559-064X

Titre abrégé: J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol

Pays: United States

ID NLM: 101262796

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
03 2023

Historique:

received: 06 08 2021

accepted: 16 12 2021

revised: 09 12 2021

pubmed: 8 1 2022

medline: 15 3 2023

entrez: 7 1 2022

Statut: ppublish

Résumé

Hair relaxers and skin lighteners have been commonly used by African women, with suggestions that they may have hormonal activity. To investigate the relationship of hair relaxer and skin lightener use to serum estrogen/estrogen metabolite levels. We utilized the postmenopausal population-based controls of the Ghana Breast Health Study to estimate adjusted geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals of individual circulating estrogen levels by hair relaxer/skin lightener exposure categories. Of the 585 postmenopausal women included in our analysis, 80.2% reported hair relaxer use and 29.4% skin lightener use. Ever hair relaxer use was positively associated with estriol (adjusted GM 95.4 pmol/L vs. never 74.5, p value = 0.02) and 16-epiestriol (20.4 vs. 16.8, p value = 0.05) particularly among users of lye-based hair relaxers. Positive associations between scalp burns and unconjugated estrogens were observed (e.g., unconjugated estrone: 5+ scalp burns 76.9 [59.6-99.2] vs. no burns 64.0 [53.7-76.3], p-trend = 0.03). No association was observed between use of skin lighteners and circulating estrogens. This study presents evidence that circulating 16-pathway estrogens (i.e., estriol and 16-epiestriol) may be increased in users of lye-based hair relaxer products. Among hair relaxer users, unconjugated estrogen levels were elevated in women with a greater number of scalp burns. In this population-based study of hair relaxer and skin lightener use among postmenopausal women in Ghana, altered estrogen metabolism was observed with hair relaxer use, particularly among women using lye-based products or with a greater number of scalp burns. In contrast, skin lightener use was not associated with differences in estrogen metabolism in this population. Continued investigation of the potential biological impact on breast cancer risk of hair relaxer use is warranted.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND

Hair relaxers and skin lighteners have been commonly used by African women, with suggestions that they may have hormonal activity.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the relationship of hair relaxer and skin lightener use to serum estrogen/estrogen metabolite levels.

METHODS

We utilized the postmenopausal population-based controls of the Ghana Breast Health Study to estimate adjusted geometric means (GM) and 95% confidence intervals of individual circulating estrogen levels by hair relaxer/skin lightener exposure categories.

RESULTS

Of the 585 postmenopausal women included in our analysis, 80.2% reported hair relaxer use and 29.4% skin lightener use. Ever hair relaxer use was positively associated with estriol (adjusted GM 95.4 pmol/L vs. never 74.5, p value = 0.02) and 16-epiestriol (20.4 vs. 16.8, p value = 0.05) particularly among users of lye-based hair relaxers. Positive associations between scalp burns and unconjugated estrogens were observed (e.g., unconjugated estrone: 5+ scalp burns 76.9 [59.6-99.2] vs. no burns 64.0 [53.7-76.3], p-trend = 0.03). No association was observed between use of skin lighteners and circulating estrogens.

SIGNIFICANCE

This study presents evidence that circulating 16-pathway estrogens (i.e., estriol and 16-epiestriol) may be increased in users of lye-based hair relaxer products. Among hair relaxer users, unconjugated estrogen levels were elevated in women with a greater number of scalp burns.

IMPACT STATEMENT

In this population-based study of hair relaxer and skin lightener use among postmenopausal women in Ghana, altered estrogen metabolism was observed with hair relaxer use, particularly among women using lye-based products or with a greater number of scalp burns. In contrast, skin lightener use was not associated with differences in estrogen metabolism in this population. Continued investigation of the potential biological impact on breast cancer risk of hair relaxer use is warranted.

Identifiants

DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00407-4 PMID: 34992224 PMC: PMC9256865

pubmed: 34992224

doi: 10.1038/s41370-021-00407-4

pii: 10.1038/s41370-021-00407-4

pmc: PMC9256865

mid: NIHMS1765322

doi:

Substances chimiques

Estrogens 0

Lye 0

Estriol FB33469R8E

Types de publication

Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

Pagination

301-310

Subventions

Organisme : Intramural NIH HHS

ID : ZIA CP010167

Pays : United States

Commentaires et corrections

Type : ErratumIn

Informations de copyright

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