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The FDA’s repeated delays in banning formaldehyde from hair-straightening products have sparked significant concern among health advocates and lawmakers.

Missed Deadlines and Regulatory Delays

• Latest Missed Target: The FDA missed its most recent deadline of December 31, 2025, to propose a ban on formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in hair-smoothing products.
• History of Postponements: This marks the sixth delay for a rule originally slated for October 2023. Subsequent deadlines in 2024 and 2025 have all passed without official action.
• Status in “Limbo”: While the FDA maintains the rule is a “priority,” there are no formal legal consequences for missing these dates, leaving the publication timeline uncertain.

Health Risks of Formaldehyde

• Known Carcinogen: Formaldehyde is a well-established human carcinogen linked to an increased risk of hormone-related cancers, including uterine, ovarian, and breast cancers.
• Other Health Effects: Chronic exposure can cause respiratory irritation, skin sensitization, and chronic conditions like asthma.
• Uterine Fibroids: Frequent use of chemical straighteners is also associated with uterine fibroids, which can lead to infertility, heavy bleeding, and pregnancy loss.

Disproportionate Impact on Black Women

• Targeted Marketing: Hair-straightening products are heavily marketed to Black women, leading to much higher cumulative exposure starting from childhood and adolescence.
• Increased Risk of Fibroids: Black women are up to three times more likely to be diagnosed with uterine fibroids than White women.
• Vulnerability in Salons: Salon workers, many of whom are women of color, face intense occupational exposure to these chemicals as they are heated and inhaled during treatments.

Advocacy and Political Pressure

• Lawmaker Frustration: US Representatives have expressed deep frustration, questioning why the FDA has not acted despite a “mountain of evidence” and years of scientific agreement.
• Citizen Petitions: Since 2021, salon workers and environmental health groups have formally petitioned the FDA to prohibit these ingredients, emphasizing that there is no safe level of exposure in heated consumer products.
• Regulatory Process: Once proposed, the rule must undergo a public comment period and an analysis phase before it can be finalized and enforced.