Hair dye: an occupational risk factor for bladder cancer among beauty industry workers

Abstract Introduction A new area of research has highlighted a possible link between the use of hair dyes and an increased risk of bladder cancer in people working in the beauty industry. Materials and methods The present study is a systematic review, the data being collected from PubMed database and selected according to predetermined eligibility criteria. Results and discussion The results show that in the period prior to 1980 the incidence of bladder cancer was increased in male barbers, while after 1980 the risk was higher in female hairdressers. Conclusion At this moment, the research seems to reveal that hair dyes represent a possible occupational risk factor for bladder cancer, but further research is needed in order to confirm this conclusion.