This combination of 2021-2023 photos shows U.S. Reps. Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, left; Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y. AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Charles Krupa, Susan Walsh
Two U.S. House members who first pushed the Food and Drug Administration in 2023 to investigate the health risks of hair straighteners used primarily by Black women are now asking the agency why it has twice delayed its target date to propose a ban on products containing formaldehyde, which studies link to increased rates of cancer.
Democratic Reps. Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts and Shontel Brown of Ohio pressed the FDA in a letter to finalize the proposed rule for banning certain salon-grade and at-home hair straighteners. Rep. Nydia Velazquez of New York joined Pressley and Brown in spearheading the letter, which was dated Tuesday.
The FDA gave notice of a possible rule in 2023 with an initial target date to release the proposal in April. That was then moved to July before jumping to September.
The letter from Pressley, Brown and Velazquez — all of whom are up for re-election this year — asks FDA Commissioner Robert Califf to provide specific reasons for the delay.
Pressley told The Associated Press that Black women look to straightening treatments in part because of hair discrimination.
“If you do a Google search right now of unprofessional work hairstyles, you’ll be besieged by images of Black women,” said Pressley, who also believes another delay could cause more health issues for communities of color. “Everything from protective styles, Senegalese twists or braids like I wore for many years, or afros or locs … I just want everyone to be able to show up fully, authentically and unapologetically, without fear and without discrimination.”
It isn’t uncommon for the FDA to have items on the regulatory agenda for years. For example, the draft of a proposed ban on menthol cigarettes came out in 2022, but the target date on finalizing the rule was pushed…
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