Cancer risk and exposures to carcinogens in hairdressers

A number of epidemiologic studies have focused on the risk of bladder and lung cancer in hairdressers and beauticians, and the risk of breast cancer, and bladder cancer associated with the private use of hair dyes has also been addressed. The most consistent, although by no means unequivocal, finding is the increased risk of bladder cancer in male hairdressers. The use of brilliantine containing p-dimethylaminoazobenzene could be suggested as a relevant exposure. We present recent incidence data on bladder cancer in Danish hairdressers showing relative risk (RR) = 2.05 (men) and RR = 1.75 (women) in 1970-1980 and RR = 1.17 (men) and RR = 0.88 (women) in 1981-1987. Furthermore, in female hairdressers, the risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was increased for the whole period of 1970-1987.