By Dr. Shari Andrews
I love hair.
I love the freedom of changing it. Braids. Curls. Protective styles. Natural hair. A completely different look because that is what I felt like doing that week.
And as a Black woman, I also understand that hair in our community is rarely just hair. It is culture. Creativity. Convenience. Protection. Identity. Sometimes rebellion. Sometimes simply joy.
So when I read recent testing showing carcinogens, heavy metals, and volatile organic compounds in braiding hair products used overwhelmingly by Black women and girls, my first reaction was not clinical.
It was: Are you kidding me?
Because at some point we have to ask a bigger question than, “Which brand should I buy instead?”
We have to ask why a product category so deeply embedded in Black beauty culture can be sold with so little transparency that the people wearing it are only now finding out what may be in it.
First, let’s get the facts straight
In 2025, Consumer Reports tested 10 popular synthetic braiding hair products. Carcinogens were detected in all 10. Lead was detected in nine of the 10 products. Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, were detected in every product tested.
Three products contained benzene, a known human carcinogen associated with leukemia. All 10 contained methylene chloride, which Consumer Reports classified in its testing as a probable carcinogen. The testing also identified VOCs such as acetone and other compounds that can irritate the respiratory system or affect the nervous system depending on the chemical, dose, and exposure.
The lead finding deserves particular attention. Lead was found in 90 percent of the synthetic braiding hair products tested. That is where the widely repeated “90 percent” figure comes from. It does not mean that 90 percent of every hair product marketed to Black women has been proven toxic.
That distinction matters. We do not need to exaggerate the evidence. The actual findings are disturbing enough.
And the story did not end there.
The 2026 follow-up did not make this more reassuring
In a larger follow-up investigation published in 2026, Consumer Reports tested 30 additional braiding hair products spanning synthetic, plant-based, and human hair. Lead was detected in 29 of the 30 products, and all 30 contained VOCs.
One of the most surprising findings was that human hair was not automatically the safer alternative. In fact, the nine human-hair products in the investigation contained the highest lead levels by far.
That matters because one of the first reactions many of us had to the original synthetic-hair report was, “Fine. I’ll just buy human hair.” The newer testing shows why consumer safety cannot be reduced to swapping one material for another and hoping for the best.
Some products had substantially lower contaminant levels, and one tested product had no detectable heavy metals at all. That is important because it demonstrates something else: safer manufacturing appears possible.
Let’s name the products that raised the biggest red flags
I do not think Black consumers should have to decode a chart and then pretend the brand names do not matter. Consumer Reports published the products it tested, so I am naming them here too.
Based on the independent results available right now, these are products I would personally avoid purchasing unless and until the manufacturers can show convincing independent retesting, reformulation, or supply-chain changes:
- Sensationnel Ruwa 3X Pre-Stretched Kids Braid, 12-inch
- Sensationnel X-Pression 3X Pre-Stretched Braid, 58-inch
- Magic Fingers 3X Pre-Stretched Braiding Hair, 52-inch
- Sassy Collection 100% Kanekalon Jumbo Braid
- Shake-N-Go FreeTress 3X Pre-Stretched Braid 301, 34-inch
- Hbegant Afro Twist Pre-Fluffed Wrapping Hair, 24-inch
- Shake-N-Go Organique Mastermix Water Curl Weave, 30-inch
- Debut Wavy Hair Weave, 20-inch
- Sensationnel Lulutress Crochet Braid Passion Twist, 12-inch
- Darling Flexi Rod Curls Crochet, 14-inch
Those were the 10 products in the 2025 investigation. Every one contained carcinogenic chemicals in Consumer Reports’ testing, nine contained lead, and three contained benzene. One important nuance: Sensationnel X-Pression was the one product in that group in which lead was not detected, but Consumer Reports still detected benzene and other concerning VOCs in that product.
The 2026 follow-up identified additional products with especially concerning results. Two that stood out for extremely high total VOC measurements were Gyal Braids Apple Cider Vinegar Braiding Hair and Slayyy Hair Pre-Stretched Braids. Both also contained lead above Consumer Reports’ level of concern; Slayyy Hair also tested positive for cadmium and arsenic.
This is not a claim that every product ever made by these companies is identical to the specific products tested. It is a statement about publicly reported test results on named products. Companies can respond to those results by testing, reformulating, disclosing, and proving that they have corrected the problem.
So which brands can we support?
This is where I want to be just as precise. I cannot honestly give you a list of braiding-hair brands that have been proven completely “toxin-free” or universally safe. Consumer Reports found VOCs in every product in its 2026 follow-up, including products marketed as cleaner alternatives.
But there are companies and products that deserve a closer look because they performed better on specific measures or have shown more transparency and support for regulation.
Dosso Beauty Hypoallergenic Kanekalon Fiber Braiding Hair had the strongest heavy-metal result in Consumer Reports’ 2026 testing: it was the only product among the 30 tested with no detectable lead, cadmium, or arsenic. That does not mean the product was free of every chemical concern—VOCs were still detected—but it is meaningful evidence that heavy-metal contamination is not inevitable. Consumer Reports also identified Dosso Beauty as one of the companies actively supporting stronger policy and industry accountability.
Consumer Reports also noted that New Village Braid and Rebundle have supported stronger regulation and greater transparency. I appreciate that advocacy. However, their tested products were not contaminant-free, so I would support their push for accountability without presenting their products as medically proven “safe.”
CR also reported that five products had the lowest total VOC levels in its 2026 testing: Bobbi Boss Nu Locs Crochet Braids, Lillian Augusta Beauty Plant-Based Braiding Hair Wheat, Amore Mio Stretch Braid, Mane Concept A Fri-Naptural Knotless Braid, and Model Model Glance Braid Beach Curl. Again, lower VOCs do not equal clean across every category—some of these products still had detectable heavy metals. I would treat that information as comparative data, not a blanket endorsement.
For now, my strongest positive signal is this: look for companies willing to publish independent test results, disclose what they know about their materials and supply chains, support enforceable safety standards, and respond transparently when problems are found. That is the behavior I want to reward with my dollars.
This concern did not start with braiding hair
Black women have been raising concerns about beauty-product exposures for years.
A 2018 peer-reviewed study led by researchers at the Silent Spring Institute tested 18 hair products commonly used by Black women, including relaxers, hair lotions, anti-frizz products, and root stimulators. Researchers detected 45 endocrine-disrupting or asthma-associated chemicals across the products. Most strikingly, 84 percent of the chemicals they detected were not listed on the product labels.
That study did not test synthetic braiding hair, and it should not be confused with the newer Consumer Reports investigation. But together, the findings raise a broader concern about the chemical burden associated with products disproportionately used by Black women and how difficult it can be for consumers to know what they are actually buying.
We also have epidemiologic research showing associations between frequent use of chemical hair straighteners and certain cancers. An NIH-led Sister Study analysis found that women who reported frequent use of chemical straightening products had more than twice the risk of developing uterine cancer compared with women who did not use them. The study did not show that braiding hair causes uterine cancer. These are different products and different studies. But the pattern reinforces why chemical exposures in Black hair care deserve serious research rather than dismissal.
Does this mean braiding hair causes cancer?
No. We do not have evidence that allows us to say that.
Finding a carcinogen in a product is not the same thing as proving that using that product will cause cancer. Health risk depends on the amount of a chemical, how it enters the body, how often exposure occurs, how long it continues, individual susceptibility, and many other factors.
There is still limited research directly measuring long-term health outcomes in people who wear synthetic braiding hair.
But “we do not yet know the exact long-term risk” is not the same thing as “there is nothing to worry about.”
Lead exposure should be minimized. Benzene is a known carcinogen. Methylene chloride is prohibited as an ingredient in cosmetics under FDA regulations because of safety concerns. And these hairstyles are commonly worn for weeks at a time, often sitting directly against the scalp and sometimes being heated or dipped in boiling water during installation.
Those facts are enough to justify better testing, transparency, and regulation.
As a Black woman, this is the part that bothers me most
I do not want the takeaway from this story to be another lecture telling Black women what we should stop doing.
Stop relaxing your hair. Stop using certain products. Stop wearing synthetic braids. Stop buying this. Switch to that.
At what point do we stop placing the entire burden of safety on the women being sold the products?
I am a physician. I can read toxicology reports. I can look up benzene, methylene chloride, lead, VOCs, and exposure pathways. Most consumers should not need a medical degree and a chemistry background to buy braiding hair.
And I am not looking at this issue from the outside. I am one of the women these products are marketed to. I enjoy the same freedom of expression through hair that so many Black women do. That makes the lack of transparency personal.
Black women should not have to choose between cultural expression, convenience, affordability, and the reasonable expectation that a product sitting on our scalp for six weeks has been adequately evaluated for safety.
So what do we do right now?
The knee-jerk answer is: stop buying synthetic hair.
I understand that reaction. Limiting exposure is reasonable while we learn more. But the 2026 testing also showed that switching automatically to human hair does not solve the problem.
A more useful approach is to make informed choices while demanding systemic change.
If you want to reduce your personal exposure, consider using braiding hair less frequently, alternating with styles that use your own hair, and looking for companies that publish meaningful ingredient information and independent contaminant testing rather than relying only on words like “clean,” “natural,” or “non-toxic.” Those marketing terms do not automatically guarantee safety.
If a product causes intense itching, burning, rash, scalp swelling, respiratory irritation, or another significant reaction, take the symptoms seriously. Removing the hair may be appropriate, and persistent or severe symptoms should be discussed with a healthcare professional.
Because Consumer Reports found VOCs during testing that included heating the hair, minimizing unnecessary high-heat processing may reduce one potential exposure route. But I would not tell you that boiling, washing, rinsing, or soaking synthetic hair makes it “safe.” We do not have adequate evidence that popular home preparation methods reliably remove heavy metals or carcinogens.
And if you have worn braiding hair for years, please do not panic. These findings are a reason for awareness and advocacy, not a reason to assume you have been harmed or that you need an extensive battery of medical tests. If you have specific exposure concerns, symptoms, are pregnant, or are concerned about a child’s exposure, discuss that context with your healthcare professional.
But the bigger answer cannot be “shop better”
This is where the conversation has to move from personal responsibility to accountability.
Consumers deserve complete ingredient disclosure. We deserve meaningful limits on contaminants such as lead and known carcinogens. We deserve independent safety testing. We deserve clear standards for products that may remain in close contact with the scalp for weeks. Braiders deserve workplace protections too, because they may handle these products every day.
Consumer Reports has called on the FDA to assert jurisdiction over synthetic braiding hair and establish stronger safety standards. More broadly, the FDA acknowledges that most cosmetic products and ingredients do not undergo premarket approval before reaching consumers, with limited exceptions. That reality makes transparency and post-market accountability especially important.
Retailers also have power. Manufacturers have power. State lawmakers have power. This should not end with Black women quietly changing what we put in our shopping carts while the same products remain on shelves unchanged.
The Teeny Dose
I still love our hair.
I love the braids. The transformations. The protective styles. The creativity. The ability to wake up one day and decide we are going to look completely different by dinner.
That is not the problem.
The problem is that products designed, marketed, and sold for Black women and girls should not require us to gamble with information we were never given.
So yes, protect yourself where you can.
Ask questions. Demand testing. Support companies willing to show their work. Report reactions. Pay attention to new research.
But do not let this become another story where Black women are told the solution is simply to give something up.
The real solution is that the products being sold to us should be safer in the first place.
— Dr. Shari Andrews
Sources and further reading
Consumer Reports: 2025 synthetic braiding hair investigation
Consumer Reports: 2026 follow-up braiding hair investigation
Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health: Synthetic braiding hair and chemical exposures
Silent Spring Institute: Hair products marketed to Black women and hazardous chemicals
National Institutes of Health: Hair straightening chemicals and uterine cancer risk
U.S. Food and Drug Administration: Prohibited and restricted ingredients in cosmetics
Medical disclaimer: This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for individualized medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Detection of a chemical in a consumer product does not by itself establish that an individual user will develop disease. If you have symptoms, pregnancy-related concerns, concerns about a child’s exposure, or questions specific to your health, discuss them with a qualified healthcare professional.
