Carcinogens Detected in Synthetic Braiding Hair- Carcinogens are chemicals that may cause cancer; they’re classified in three ways, according to Eric Boring, a CR scientist with a PhD in chemistry.

Known: There is strong scientific data to link the chemical to cancer. Usually, this means multiple (more than three) sources confirming this and there is very little argument within the scientific community.

Probable (aka likely): There is significant data (at least two to three sources) confirming this, although there might be some dispute in the scientific community.

Possible: There might be only one set of data confirming this, or there is substantial dispute within the scientific community, or we might have data confirming that a similar chemical is carcinogenic.

All the synthetic braiding hair products we tested contained multiple carcinogens. Three products contained benzene, a known carcinogen that causes acute myeloid leukemia. “It is strictly regulated and discouraged to use in laboratories because of its potential to cause cancer,” Rogers says. Two products contained an animal carcinogen, and all the samples contained a probable carcinogen, methylene chloride. See the chart below for the full list of known, probable, and possible carcinogens that were detected.

credits: Synthetic Braiding Hair Test Results Detect Carcinogens and VOCs - Consumer Reports