Hair relaxer use and fecundability: a prospective cohort study

Hair relaxers (straighteners) are used by millions of women, often for long periods of time. Hair relaxers can cause burns and lesions in the scalp, facilitating entry of chemical constituents into the body; dermal absorption and inhalation are also routes of exposure. Hair relaxers may contain sodium or calcium hydroxide, guanidine carbonate, thioglycolic salts, and hormonally-active compounds such as phthalates, which have been associated with infertility in some studies. We investigated prospectively the association between hair relaxer use and fecundability.
Source: Fertility and Sterility - Category: Reproduction Medicine Authors: Tags: Oral session Source Type: research