Risky Jobs? Do Hairdressers and Beauticians Have an Increased Risk for Ovarian Cancer?

“Women working in hairdressing-related occupations are exposed to hundreds of chemicals at high concentrations, including hair dyes, shampoos, conditioners, styling and cosmetic products,” the study reads. “In our study, employment in hairdressing related occupations and exposure to 12 agents prevalent in these occupations were suggestively associated with increased risks of ovarian cancer.”

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Still, it should be noted that the reports explicitly states that “inferences of these results are limited.” In other words, more research is needed to actually determine whether hairdressers and beauticians are at a higher risk of developing ovarian cancer.

Melissa Friesen and Laura Beane Freeman of the U.S. National Cancer Institute wrote a commentary to accompany the findings saying that “this study is best interpreted as hypothesis generating, with suggestive evidence for workplace exposures in the occupations 'hairdressers, barbers, beauticians and related workers' and 'sewers and embroiderers', but was unable to shorten the list of potential causative agents.”

Although the research is preliminary, Friesen and Beane Freeman say it reminds us that “there is still a need for improvement in studying women's occupational risks.”

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“By excluding women, we miss the opportunity to identify risk factors for female specific cancers, to evaluate whether sex-specific differences in risk occur, and to study exposures occurring in occupations held primarily by women,” the commentary reads. “Moreover, it reminds us that there are many opportunities to improve the exposure assessment in those studies to characterise women's occupational exposures.”

Symptoms and Risk Factors for Ovarian Cancer

According to the American Cancer Society, about 19,710 women in the United States will receive a new diagnosis of ovarian cancer in 2023. The disease, in general, can be hard to detect because potential symptoms can be vague and sometimes similar to regular menstrual cycle fluctuations.

Ovarian Cancer: If You Feel Something, Say Something

"Ovarian cancer does not have any specific symptoms," Dr. Beth Karlan, a renowned gynecologic oncologist at UCLA Medical Center, told SurvivorNet. "It's often referred to as the cancer that whispers in that it has symptoms that are really very vague… and nothing that may bring your attention directly to the ovaries.

"The symptoms include things like feeling full earlier than you usually would when your appetite is strong… Feeling bloated. Some changes in your bowel habits. Some pain in the pelvis. These are symptoms women may have every month. These are not very specific. But what we've found from multiple studies, it's this constellation of symptoms."

Ovarian Cancer: Know Your Risks, Learn about Prevention

Knowing potential symptoms that could arise is one aspect of ovarian cancer awareness, but becoming familiar with your risk level is another crucial aspect. According to the National Cancer Institute, there is “adequate evidence” that the following factors increase a person’s risk of ovarian, fallopian tube and primary peritoneal cancers:

• Having a family history: “Based on solid evidence, women with a family history of ovarian cancer, especially in a first-degree relative, and those with an inherited predisposition to ovarian cancer, such as a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, have an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer.”
• Having endometriosis: “Based on fair evidence, self-reported and laparoscopically confirmed endometriosis is associated with an increased risk of ovarian cancer.”
• Undergoing hormone replacement therapy: “Based on fair evidence, current or recent hormone therapy is associated with a small increased risk of ovarian cancer. Risks attenuate [reduce] after hormone therapy is discontinued.”
• Being obese or taller: “Based on fair evidence, increases in height and body mass index (BMI) are associated with a modest increased risk of ovarian cancer.”

If you're worried about your risk of developing the disease, talk with your doctor. In helping you assess your risk level, they may be able to recommend risk-reducing measures.

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"We must remember that prevention is key and advocate for all women to discuss their family history and individual risk factors with their doctors and ask whether there are risk-reducing options available to them," Dr. Stephanie Wethington, the director of the gynecologic oncology survivorship program at Johns Hopkins Medicine, said.

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