Are Your Hair Extensions Toxic?

Hairy Situation: Clip-ins, sew-ins, tape-ins, braids — with hair extensions, color and price are typically the only deciding factors. What’s actually in the strands doesn’t usually make the list. But a new study found it probably should.

The Study: Scientists at the Silent Spring Institute bought 43 hair extension products (both human and synthetic) from online retailers and beauty supply stores. They ran them through a chemical screening process that scans for whatever’s there and found 48 hazardous chemicals across the products, including flame retardants, pesticides, and phthalates. 91% of products contained at least one chemical linked to cancer or reproductive harm. Some contained toxic organotins at concentrations that surpass safety limits in the European Union.

The Takeaway: Hair extensions sit directly on the scalp, sometimes for weeks or months. And around 70% of Black women wear them at least once a year. If you wear them regularly, look for products with transparent ingredient lists.

Keep in Mind: The study confirmed these chemicals are present in the extensions but didn’t measure how much was absorbed into the body. Hair extensions are largely unregulated and manufacturers aren’t required to list ingredients.