Latest news with #MagicFingers
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Health
- The Guardian
Many Black women consider synthetic braids safe. A study found toxins in all the brands it tested
In recent years, personal care products marketed at Black women have received increased scrutiny for their toxicity, specifically chemical hair straighteners. These perms, also known as 'relaxers', have been condemned for causing severe health problems, including fertility issues, scalp irritations and increased risk of cancer. In light of this, many Black women have turned to natural hairstyles, including braids, as a way to avoid toxic chemicals. But recent research has revealed that popular brands of synthetic braiding hair, human-made extensions that are used in these protective styles, contain dangerous carcinogens, heavy metals and other toxins. Tested brands included in a recent study from Consumer Reports (CR) were Magic Fingers, The Sassy Collection, Shake-N-Go, Darling, Debut, Hbegant and Sensationnel, all mass producers of synthetic braiding hair. According to the CR study, all tested samples of braiding hair contained volatile organic compounds (VOCs), human-made chemicals found in paints, industrial solvents and other products. Exposure to VOCs can cause health problems, including respiratory issues, nausea and fatigue. Long-term exposure has been associated with increased cancer risk and organ damage. Contact with chemicals in synthetic hair doesn't only occur when the hair is installed – exposure can take place under a variety of circumstances. For instance, synthetic braiding hair can be 'brittle', causing smaller pieces of hair to break off on to hands and be accidentally consumed, said Dr James Rogers, director and head of product safety testing at CR. 'Even ingesting just a small amount of braiding hair material could possibly give you enough lead exposure to push you over the limit of what is considered safe,' Rogers said. For Black people globally, braids are among the most common and beloved hairstyles. Some braided hairstyles involve plaiting extensions into one's natural hair to achieve a range of styles, such as box braids, knotless braids, twists, goddess braids and more. These styles, worn by people of all ages, typically remain installed for weeks at a time, acting as a low-maintenance hairstyle that can promote hair growth and combat breakage. Beyond convenience, braids carry cultural significance. Since the advent of the 1960s natural hair movement, braided styles represented an embrace of one's afro-textured hair and Black identity more broadly, a political stance amid the popularization of relaxers. In recent years, new research looking into the health effects of chemical straighteners only boosted the popularity of braids. A 2022 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences study found that perms increased the risk of uterine cancer. The revelatory study followed 33,497 US women between the ages of 35 and 74 for 11 years and assessed their cancer risks. For women who used hair straightening products frequently – more than four times in a year – their cancer risk more than doubled. The investigation unleashed a flood of public outcry and calls for federal regulation of chemical straighteners. Thousands of women who had used such products joined class-action lawsuits, alleging that they had contracted cancer from the hazardous hair products. But worries about synthetic hair raise new concerns about how Black women – both hair braiders and customers – can still be exposed to dangerous chemicals even when they opt for chemical-free hairstyles. The latest CR study first tested 10 of the most popular brands of synthetic braiding hair, said Rogers. Of the 10 brands tested, three contained benzene, a chemical linked to an increased risk of leukemia. Nine samples contained lead above the level deemed safe by experts. At least five samples contained more than 500,000 measurable VOCs; four samples had over 1m. Researchers then considered how exposure to chemicals on synthetic hair might take place to better understand the posed health risks. In addition to ingestion of the hair, a likely scenario with the most intense form of exposure, braids are typically dipped in hot water or singed with an open flame to seal in the style, offering another opportunity for chemical exposure. The CR report builds on limited research on toxins in synthetic braiding hair. A pilot study published in 2020 by scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder identified at least nine types of VOCs in emissions produced by heated synthetic hair. Chrystal Thomas, a medical student at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, previously published an article on the topic in the Lancet, a peer-reviewed medical journal. Her particular interest stemmed from an adverse reaction she suffered after getting braids in 2023. Thomas said she immediately noticed that her braids had an odor, similar to 'new car or mattress'. Thomas attempted to wash her hair multiple times, but could not get rid of the smell. She also began to experience a host of alarming symptoms. 'I would have trouble breathing,' she said, after getting braids. 'I thought my throat would be very dry and it would feel like it was [tightening] up.' Within a week, Thomas decided to take her braids out to gain some relief. Research on the subject was hard to come by, said Thomas, even as dozens of Black women have written about negative, physical reactions they had to synthetic hair. 'Representation [in science] matters a lot. My experience is not unique,' said Thomas. 'People who have been using synthetic braids have been speaking about this, but researchers haven't necessarily had access to those voices.' The CR study results were unsurprising to Dr Kristian Edwards, a former public health professor at George Washington University. Edwards has tracked chemicals in Black beauty products for years, and in 2017, she founded BLK+GRN, a marketplace for Black-owned, non-toxic products. Ingredients listed on beauty products, including braiding hair, lack 'transparency', said Edwards, with consumers assuming that products being sold in stores must be safe. 'It requires diligence on consumers to check and make sure that all products they are using are safe, which is disheartening,' she said. There has also been a stark increase in 'undisclosed ingredients', Edwards added. An analysis published last month by the Environmental Working Group found that 80% of more than 4,000 beauty products geared towards Black women have at least one moderate hazard, with many brands not disclosing what was in their products. Current methods of regulation also aren't as effective, Edwards said. Focusing solely on what ingredients are toxic 'gives the manufacturer space to keep using ingredients that haven't been researched as much, but may be just as toxic', she said. Overall, researchers are calling for more research on the health impacts of braiding hair and testing of more products, including plant-based extensions and human hair. With investigations into synthetic braiding hair, many consumers have gravitated towards those options, but synthetic braiding hair alternatives still involve some chemical process.
Los Angeles Times
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
5 fascinating facts about motels, from murders and movies to Magic Fingers
Life, death, crime, kitsch, nostalgia, immigrant aspirations and witty design — all of these elements converge in the world of motels, which didn't exist before 1925. Here are five facts and phenomena from the century of history. From the late 1950s into the '80s, thousands of motels proudly advertised their Magic Fingers — a little collection of vibrating electric nodes under your mattress that would give you a 15-minute 'massage' for 25 cents, inspiring creators from Kurt Vonnegut to Frank Zappa. Alas, their moment passed. But not everywhere. Morro Bay's Sundown Inn, which gets two diamonds from the Auto Club and charges about $70 and up per night, is one of the last motels in the West that still features working Magic Fingers, offered (at the original price) in most of its 17 rooms. 'We've owned the hotel for 41 years, and the Magic Fingers was here when we started. We just kept them,' said co-owner Ann Lin. Ann's mother- and father-in-law immigrated from Taiwan and bought the property in 1983. Many motels and small hotels are longtime family operations. Sometimes it's the original owner's family, and quite often it's a family named Patel with roots in India's Gujarat state. A recent study by the Asian American Hotel Owners Assn. found that 60% of U.S. hotels — and 61% of those in California — are owned by Asian Americans. By one estimate, people named Patel own 80% to 90% of the motels in small-town America. The beginnings of this trend aren't certain, but many believe that one of the first Indians to acquire a hotel in the U.S. was Kanjibhai Desai, buyer of the Goldfield Hotel in downtown San Francisco in the early 1940s. There's no escaping the motel in American pop culture. Humbert Humbert, the deeply creepy narrator of Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel 'Lolita,' road-tripped from motel to motel with his under-age victim. Edward Hopper gave us the disquieting 1957 oil painting 'Western Motel.' In the film 'Psycho' (1960), Alfred Hitchcock brought to life the murderous motel manager Norman Bates. When Frank Zappa made a movie about the squalid misadventures of a rock band on tour, he called it '200 Motels' (1971). When the writers of TV's 'Schitt's Creek' (2015-2020) wanted to disrupt a rich, cosmopolitan family, they came up with the Rosebud Motel and its blue brick interior walls. And when executives at A&E went looking for a true-crime series in 2024, they came up with 'Murder at the Motel,' which covered a killing at a different motel in every episode. The 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made the Lorraine Motel in Memphis globally notorious. But before and after that day, the Lorraine played a very different role. Built as a small hotel in 1925 and segregated in its early years, the property sold to Black businessman Walter Bailey in 1945. He expanded it to become a motel, attracting many prominent African American guests. In the 1950s and '60s, the Lorraine was known for housing guests such as Count Basie, Cab Calloway, Roy Campanella, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, Aretha Franklin, Lionel Hampton, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and the Staples Singers. After King's assassination, the motel struggled, closed, then reemerged in 1991 as the National Civil Rights Museum, now widely praised. Guests follow civil rights history through the building, ending at Room 306 and its balcony where King was standing when he was shot. In 1980, a Colorado motel owner named Gerald Foos confided to journalist Gay Talese that he had installed fake ceiling vents in the Manor House Motel in Aurora, Colo., and for years had been peeping from the attic at guests in bed. The man had started this in the 1960s and continued into the '90s. Finally, in 2016, Talese spun the story into a New Yorker article and a book, 'The Voyeur's Motel,' sparking many charges that he had violated journalistic ethics.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cancer-causing chemicals in synthetic braiding hair ‘environmental racism,' health professionals say
Doctors are calling it a health emergency: A new study found harmful, cancer-causing chemicals in some synthetic braiding hair products. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] Channel 2's Audrey Washington spoke with health experts and social justice scholars about why those harmful products are mostly marketed to Black women. The report about cancer-causing chemicals found in synthetic braiding hair is sending shockwaves through the beauty industry. But now some health professionals believe these products that are targeted to Black women and girls specifically are a form of environmental racism. 'You can dress it up or down because of the curls,' said hairstylist Dionne James, talking about a style of hair braids. RELATED STORY: 'I was scared': Synthetic braiding hair linked to cancer-causing chemicals By now, most of us have seen the flashy beauty supply ads usually displayed in Black neighborhoods that promote braiding hair products. But recently some of those products were tested and the results are disturbing. 'Not knowing if I may be a candidate with cancer in the future or now, I don't know,' said James. A Consumer Reports study found cancer-causing chemicals in all 10 brands of braiding hair tested, and three had the chemical benzene. 'So, benzene is mostly linked to leukemia,' said chemist and Emory University Professor of Environ mental Health Carmen Marsit, Ph.D. He explained how the chemical disrupts the body. 'And it's this chemical that can go in and bind to your DNA and lead to mutations. And so, with that it could go on to form a cancer,' said Marsit. We reached out to all 10 companies whose products were tested. Only two responded. Magic Fingers sent this statement: 'Magic Fingers is proud of the trusted and top-quality hair products we provide to our customers. Our customers know they can count on us for braids and extensions that meet their highest expectations for fashion and performance. The unusual testing methods employed by Consumer Reports do not fairly match the real-world way that our customers use our Braiding Hair.' Sensationnel sent this statement: 'At Sensationnel, we pride ourselves on producing the finest quality hair products on the market, and we are constantly evaluating our materials and processes with customer safety in mind. 'The claims and conclusions presented by the Consumer Reports study are unfounded and misleading. Its study used a harsh and unusual testing methodology on hair braiding products that are clearly not intended for ingestion. We strongly disagree with the claims Consumer Reports makes about the potential risk to consumers that could arise from the safe and common use of our products. 'We unequivocally stand by the safety of Sensationnel products, and our company urges consumers to continue to confidently use Sensationnel products.' But Marsit said benzene does not need to be ingested in order to be harmful. 'It's near your face, so that's in your breathing zone,' said Marsit. In 2024, Washington first spoke with Marsit after the FDA proposed a ban on certain chemical hair straighteners that were found to cause cancer. Those products were mostly marketed to and used by Black women and girls. Washington asked if the placement of these products in majority Black communities a form of environmental racism. 'I think it plays a big part. I mean, it's really, it's really a history of these types of products being marketed to Black women,' said Marsit. 'I would definitely say that racism is at the core with regards to when any time a particular group is disproportionately impacted, discriminated against having particular life chances and is around race,' said Morehouse College Professor Taura Taylor, Ph.D. 'So, this is in my mind a public health emergency,' said dermatologist Dr. Alia Brown. She has treated patients who developed serious scalp and hand rashes from synthetic braids. She said the rashes combined with the new cancer risks should sound health alarms nationwide. 'Unfortunately, there also are some biases that exist with healthcare and people of color and disparities,' said Dr. Brown. Hairstylist Dionna James said she developed health issues after decades of braiding and inhaling fumes from synthetic hair. 'I have suffered from benign tumors, so now I'm starting to think that maybe it may correlate to the hair,' said James. 'Is this braiding hair poisoning Black women?' asked Washington. 'Of course it is,' answered Dr. Abayomi Jones, a physician and attorney who has done research on harmful hair care products in the Black community. 'These manufacturers and producers, they understand what is in these products, but the consumer doesn't understand. So, it's a blatant pulling the wool over our eyes,' said Dr. Jones. Most of the synthetic hair used for braiding is bought in bulk from overseas where regulations are different. Health experts said it is best for the consumer to purchase organic hair made with banana fibers. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Synthetic hair marketed toward Black women contains carcinogens and lead, report finds
Ingredients that can cause cancer were found in 10 synthetic hair products used in braids, extensions and other hairstyles popular with Black women, including artificial hair from popular brands such as Magic Fingers, Sensationnel and Shake-N-Go, according to a Consumer Reports study published Thursday. Lead, which can cause serious health and developmental problems, was also found in nine of the 10 packs of synthetic hair surveyed, including one package of braiding hair that exceeded the maximum allowed dose of lead by more than 600%, according to the study. Consumer Reports used California's maximum allowable dosage level, describing it as the 'most protective available in the U.S.,' because there are no federal limits on lead in synthetic braiding hair. Synthetic hair has long been a staple in protective hairstyles for Black women — like braids, locs and twists. These styles can be worn for weeks at a time, protecting the hair from breakage, exposure to the elements or day-to-day heat styling. This translates to longer exposure to the chemicals, Consumer Reports said. Synthetic hair is commonly found at neighborhood beauty supply stores and online. Consumer Reports researchers assessed braiding hair from 10 companies, many of which use synthetic hair made from Kanekalon, a material produced by the Kaneka brand, according to Consumer Reports. Kaneka did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment, but told Consumer Reports, 'Kaneka only manufactures the Kanekalon fibers that are used in various hair products, such as synthetic hair braids and wigs, and does not produce any of the final products.' The braiding hair companies themselves dye and style the Kanekalon, Kaneka added. The company also told Consumer Reports it would need more information to properly analyze the complaint. Sensationnel, Magic Fingers and other products contain benzene, known to be a cancer-causing ingredient, according to the study. The chemical likely causes acute myeloid leukemia, according to the American Cancer Society. Consumer Reports also found methylene chloride, which the EPA says can lead to liver and lung cancer after chronic exposure. No level of methylene chloride is permitted in cosmetics by the Food and Drug Administration. 'There is no safe level of exposure to lead or benzene,' Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy health organization, said. 'When possible, exposure to either chemical should be avoided as they are associated with serious health effects.' Nine of the 10 products tested also contained lead, the report found. Lead can cause a number of developmental disabilities in children, as well as reproductive issues in adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'There are no federal limits on the amount of lead in synthetic braiding products,' Friedman said. 'Lead is not permitted to be intentionally added to cosmetic products in the US but may be present as a contamination of certain ingredients.' Magic Fingers, Sensationnel and Shake-n-Go did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment. Magic Fingers told Consumer Reports that its customers 'can count on us for braids and extensions that meet their highest expectations for fashion and performance.' Sensationnel told Consumer Reports, 'We unequivocally stand by the safety of Sensationnel products.' 'While most of these products are below the FDA standard for lead contamination in cosmetics, when possible exposure to lead should be avoided,' Friedman said. Both Magic Fingers and Sensationnel did not agree with the methodology used to test the products, saying it was not representative of consumers' use of the products. Consumer Reports tested 10 artificial braiding hair products and a total of 20 samples, blind-coding them and sending them to a laboratory for heavy metal analysis. Shake-n-Go did not respond to Consumer Reports' request for comment. In 2022, companies that make chemical hair relaxers, which straighten hair, were sued in a class-action lawsuit by hundreds of Black people who said the products led to uterine cancer. Several wide-scale studies have been published in recent years showing heightened rates of cancer, infertility and other illnesses among women who use chemical hair relaxers, which are generally marketed to Black women. Friedman said the Consumer Reports study highlights an 'alarming trend' of toxic products being marketed toward Black women, which the organization tracks. 'On average, women use 12 personal care products a day, which can expose people to mixtures of harmful chemicals,' Friedman said in a statement, 'And studies show that repeated exposure to mixtures of chemicals can pose far greater health risks than exposure to a single ingredient.' EWG tested more than 4,000 products marketed toward Black women and found that most of them were at least moderately, if not highly, hazardous to human health. EWG has developed a database, Skin Deep, where consumers can look up beauty products and see whether they're classified as low, moderately or highly hazardous by the group. 'Everyone deserves access to safe products,' Friedman said. 'Manufacturers should prioritize safety for consumers.' This article was originally published on
NBC News
03-03-2025
- Health
- NBC News
Synthetic hair marketed toward Black women contains carcinogens and lead, report finds
Ingredients that can cause cancer were found in 10 synthetic hair products used in braids, extensions and other hairstyles popular with Black women, including artificial hair from popular brands such as Magic Fingers, Sensationnel and Shake-N-Go, according to a Consumer Reports study published Thursday. Lead, which can cause serious health and developmental problems, was also found in nine of the 10 packs of synthetic hair surveyed, including one package of braiding hair that exceeded the maximum allowed dose of lead by more than 600%, according to the study. Consumer Reports used California's maximum allowable dosage level, describing it as the 'most protective available in the U.S.,' because there are no federal limits on lead in synthetic braiding hair. Synthetic hair has long been a staple in protective hairstyles for Black women — like braids, locs and twists. These styles can be worn for weeks at a time, protecting the hair from breakage, exposure to the elements or day-to-day heat styling. This translates to longer exposure to the chemicals, Consumer Reports said. Synthetic hair is commonly found at neighborhood beauty supply stores and online. Consumer Reports researchers assessed braiding hair from 10 companies, many of which use synthetic hair made from Kanekalon, a material produced by the Kaneka brand, according to Consumer Reports. Kaneka did not immediately respond to NBC News' request for comment, but told Consumer Reports, 'Kaneka only manufactures the Kanekalon fibers that are used in various hair products, such as synthetic hair braids and wigs, and does not produce any of the final products.' The braiding hair companies themselves dye and style the Kanekalon, Kaneka added. The company also told Consumer Reports it would need more information to properly analyze the complaint. Sensationnel, Magic Fingers and other products contain benzene, known to be a cancer-causing ingredient, according to the study. The chemical likely causes acute myeloid leukemia, according to the American Cancer Society. Consumer Reports also found methylene chloride, which the EPA says can lead to liver and lung cancer after chronic exposure. No level of methylene chloride is permitted in cosmetics by the Food and Drug Administration. 'There is no safe level of exposure to lead or benzene,' Alexa Friedman, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group, a research and advocacy health organization, said. 'When possible, exposure to either chemical should be avoided as they are associated with serious health effects.' Nine of the 10 products tested also contained lead, the report found. Lead can cause a number of developmental disabilities in children, as well as reproductive issues in adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 'There are no federal limits on the amount of lead in synthetic braiding products,' Friedman said. 'Lead is not permitted to be intentionally added to cosmetic products in the US but may be present as a contamination of certain ingredients.' Magic Fingers, Sensationnel and Shake-n-Go did not immediately respond to NBC News' requests for comment. Magic Fingers told Consumer Reports that its customers 'can count on us for braids and extensions that meet their highest expectations for fashion and performance.' Sensationnel told Consumer Reports, 'We unequivocally stand by the safety of Sensationnel products.' 'While most of these products are below the FDA standard for lead contamination in cosmetics, when possible exposure to lead should be avoided,' Friedman said. Both Magic Fingers and Sensationnel did not agree with the methodology used to test the products, saying it was not representative of consumers' use of the products. Consumer Reports tested 10 artificial braiding hair products and a total of 20 samples, blind-coding them and sending them to a laboratory for heavy metal analysis. Shake-n-Go did not respond to Consumer Reports' request for comment. In 2022, companies that make chemical hair relaxers, which straighten hair, were sued in a class-action lawsuit by hundreds of Black people who said the products led to uterine cancer. Several wide-scale studies have been published in recent years showing heightened rates of cancer, infertility and other illnesses among women who use chemical hair relaxers, which are generally marketed to Black women. Friedman said the Consumer Reports study highlights an 'alarming trend' of toxic products being marketed toward Black women, which the organization tracks. 'On average, women use 12 personal care products a day, which can expose people to mixtures of harmful chemicals,' Friedman said in a statement, 'And studies show that repeated exposure to mixtures of chemicals can pose far greater health risks than exposure to a single ingredient.' EWG tested more than 4,000 products marketed toward Black women and found that most of them were at least moderately, if not highly, hazardous to human health. EWG has developed a database, Skin Deep, where consumers can look up beauty products and see whether they're classified as low, moderately or highly hazardous by the group. 'Everyone deserves access to safe products,' Friedman said. 'Manufacturers should prioritize safety for consumers.'
