TWENTY-TWO chemicals used in permanent hair dyes are set to be banned from import to Cyprus starting December 1 after a ministerial decision to implement a July 20 European Union directive.
The chemical products are being withdrawn over fears that long-term use of hair dyes that include these substances may contribute towards the development of bladder cancer.
A 2003 US study found that women who dyed their hair once a month were twice as likely to develop bladder cancer than those who did not.
The European Commission said that the December 1 ban was the first step in producing a list of all hair dye substances considered safe.
The cosmetics industry, which has already submitted information on 115 products it wants to see on the final list, claims virtually none of the hair dye chemicals on the ban are used in commercial products in European shops.
Those ingredients not submitted by the cosmetics industry, like the 22 chemicals set to be banned, or those submitted and deemed a risk, will not make the approved list.
The ministerial decision to implement the import ban must be approved by the House before becoming law.
Green party head George Perdikis said yesterday that he has asked from the state laboratory to investigate into whether or not dyes sold in Cyprus contain any dangerous chemicals.
Perdikis said that a thorough investigation and a public information campaign were especially important because of the wide usage of hair dyes.
Permanent hair dyes account for 70 to 80 per cent of the colouring product market in Europe. More than 60 per cent of women colour their hair, as do five to 10 per cent of men. The average frequency of use is six to eight times per year.
Bladder cancer is not the only type of cancer suspected to be linked to hair dye usage. A recent study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that of 4,700 women interviewed, those who used hair dye were 1.19 times more likely to have lymphoma than those who did not use the dye.
But many remain sceptical about the possible link between hair dyes and cancer. “If the results are true,” said president of the International Epidemiology Institute Joseph K. McLaughlin, “and that’s a big if, it would mean that, in the grand scheme of life, using hair dye may present a remote risk to your health, but it would still be less risky than crossing the street, driving a car, not wearing a seat belt, or drunk driving.
“But that is a big if because no one has demonstrated that hair dye is causal for lymphoma.”
n A list of the 22 banned chemicals can be found by going to http://europa.eu/rapid and searching IP/06/1047 in the reference field
