Using hair color may increase the risk of cancer

Results
Researches found a 19% increased risk of lymphoma among people who color their hair.
The increased risk was 26% among those who used color 12 or more times a year.
Based on the finding, researchers calculate that 10% of lymphomas in women could be due to the use of hair color.
Reuters. New York

Using hair color may increase the risk of a type of cancer Known as lymphoma, a European study shows. “Our data suggest that personal use of hair color is associated with a small increase in lymphoma risk, particularly among women who started using hair coloring products before 1980,” Dr Silvia de Sanjose of the Catalan Institute of Onchology in Barcelona and colleagues write in the July 1 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Past research has suggested a link between coloring ones hair and lymphoma risk, de Sanjose and her team note. They sought to investigate the association by analyzing results from a large study of lymphoma patients and matched healthy controls, including a total of 4,719 people from six European countries. About three quarters of women reported using hair color, while 7% of men did. The researchers found an overall 19 % increased risk of lymphoma among people who reported coloring their hair. The increase risk was 26% among those who used hair color 12 or more times a year.
People who began coloring their hair before 1980 showed a 37% increased lymphoma risk, while those who had only colored their hair before 1980, but not afterwards, showed a 62% increased risk.
Based on the findings, de Sanjose and her team calculate that roughly 10% of lymphomas in women could be due to the use of hair color.
From 1978 to 1982, the researchers note, the ingredients of certain types of color were changed to eliminate some potentially cancer causing agents. But it is not clear whether the newer colors are risk free. Clearly, more research is needed, they conclude.