Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026
A New Technique for Quantitative Analysis of Hair Loss in Mice Using Grayscale Analysis
Published on: March 9, 2015
A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship Between Hair Dye and the Incidence of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Ling Qin1, Hui-Yang Deng2, Sheng-Jiang Chen3
1Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital and College of Clinical Medicine, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang, China, qinling880923@sina.com.
Background:
Epidemiologic studies have suggested hair dye to be a risk factor for many cancers. However, previous studies on the association between the personal use of hair dye and risk of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) have been inconclusive.
Methods:
The PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases, as well as the references cited in included studies, were searched for relevant studies up to February 10, 2015. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were applied to assess the strength of the association. Publication bias was evaluated using a funnel plot by Egger's and Begg's tests.
Results:
A total of 16 studies were included in the analysis, including 13 case-control studies and 3 cohort studies. The present meta-analysis results revealed that the risk of NHL in a high population of hair dye users was 14% (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01-1.29). Furthermore, individuals who used more than 20 pack-years of hair dye had increased risk of NHL.
Conclusion:
The outcomes indicate that hair dye use increases the risk of NHL, especially for females. Hence, people who frequently use hair dyes or have been using hair dyes for more than 20 years should minimize their exposure to hair dye products to prevent the risk of NHL.
