Is Your Braiding Hair Making You Sick?

<p><br></p><p>Have you ever taken your braids out early because something just felt off?</p><p>Maybe your scalp was itchy in a way it had never been before. Maybe you woke up that first night with a tight throat. Maybe you found little bumps at the base of your neck and could not figure out where they came from. In this episode, your friend Shannon unpacks two Consumer Reports studies that may help explain what some of us have been feeling for years. The first, released in 2025, tested ten popular synthetic braiding hair brands and found carcinogens in every single one. The follow-up, released in 2026, tested thirty brands including human hair and brands marketed as chemical-free or plant-based. The results may surprise you.</p><p>This episode walks through what was found, what it actually means for our bodies, why so many of us have been feeling reactions without language for them, and what the brands themselves had to say in response. Shannon also shares the story of Chrystal Thomas, the medical student whose own braid experience sparked the research that started this whole conversation. You will leave with a clearer sense of how to evaluate your next braid appointment, which questions to ask your braider, and which brands are moving in a more transparent direction. This is not about shame for the choices you have already made. This is about giving you the information to make your next choice with clarity.</p><p>Have you ever had a reaction to braiding hair and not known why? Tell me what happened in the comments. Your story might be the one that helps someone else feel less alone.</p><p><strong>Connect with Your Hair Made Simple:</strong></p><p>🎧 Subscribe and join in on more natural hair conversations</p><p>📩 Join the <em>Your Hair Made Simple</em> Newsletter for hair and wellness tips and insights:<a href="http://yourhairmadesimple.substack.com/"><u>yourhairmadesimple.substack.com</u></a></p><p>Secure Your Hair Affirmation Merch and Nourishing Hair Butter and Oil : ⁠<a href="https://www.yourhairmadesimple.com/shop-the-brand%E2%81%A0"><u>https://www.yourhairmadesimple.com/shop-the-brand⁠</u></a></p><p>Follow us on Instagram &amp; TikTok: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/yourhairmadesimple/"><u>⁠@yourhairmadesimple⁠</u></a> </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Resources mentioned in this episode</strong> </p><p>Consumer Reports (2025): &quot;Dangerous Chemicals Were Detected in 100% of the Braiding Hair We Tested&quot; by Leigh-Ann Jackson, published February 27, 2025 <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/health/wigs-hair-extensions/dangerous-chemicals-detected-in-braiding-hair-cr-tested-a4850978424/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.consumerreports.org/health/wigs-hair-extensions/dangerous-chemicals-detected-in-braiding-hair-cr-tested-a4850978424/</a> </p><p>Consumer Reports (2026): &quot;We Found Heavy Metals and VOCs in CR&#39;s Follow-Up Braiding Hair Investigation&quot; by Shalwah Evans, published February 24, 2026 (updated February 25, 2026) <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/health/wigs-hair-extensions/braiding-hair-heavy-metals-vocs-follow-up-test-a9549045438/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.consumerreports.org/health/wigs-hair-extensions/braiding-hair-heavy-metals-vocs-follow-up-test-a9549045438/</a> </p><p>Chrystal Thomas, &quot;Carcinogenic Materials in Synthetic Braids: An Unrecognized Risk of Hair Products for Black Women&quot; (PMC) <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10238826/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10238826/</a> </p><p>Rebundle Co. founder Ciara Imani May interview on YHMS (recorded December 2024) <a href="https://youtu.be/I-jwIStBVag" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://youtu.be/I-jwIStBVag</a> </p><p>Dosso Beauty&#39;s published clinical trial results (referenced in their conversation with Consumer Reports) <a href="https://www.dossobeauty.com/pages/consumer