Sounds shocking, doesn’t it? Antiperspirants have many side effects, but are they really carcinogenic? Glitzy advertisements don’t usually talk about these side effects, but then, it is important for us to get the facts right, isn’t it? This post deals with some of the claims made about the potential dangers of using antiperspirants under your arms.
One of the most commonly occurring side effects of antiperspirants is swollen lymph nodes. This is due to the presence of chemicals like aluminium and zirconium. These chemicals are absorbed through our pores and end up blocking the pore, which results in the formation of gel-like patches that usually lead to swollen lymph nodes or pores (1).
Antiperspirants, like other cosmetics, have been vindicated and assumed to be carcinogenic until proven. However, some studies hint at how zirconium and aluminium instigate DNA mutation, which can trigger cancerous growth and disrupt hormone levels (2). What is still up for debate is whether the amount of aluminium or zirconium absorbed by the body can actually affect the estrogen level or instigate a change in hormone levels.
Scientists agree that prepubescent use of antiperspirants is a major cause for concern as zirconium and aluminum instigate DNA mutation, which has been known to disrupt hormone levels (as already discussed). This can lead to many complications and hormonal imbalance in teens and preteens. A study conducted concludes that aluminium can reduce parathyroid hormone levels (3). Again, the amount of aluminium absorbed through the skin pores isn’t nearly enough to stunt growth or affect hormonal changes.
So, are there many potential risks of antiperspirants, or are these simply one-sided studies aimed at vindicating the product as a potential carcinogen? Let’s look at what the American Cancer Society has to say about antiperspirants’ cancer-inducing claims (4).
Here are the common antiperspirant myths you need to know:
Carcinogens in antiperspirants are absorbed by the pores and nicks that you usually get while shaving your underarms. These chemicals prevent perspiration, which increases toxin concentration. The effect leads to cancer.
Fact:
All razor nicks can do is probably infect your skin. Broken or infected skin stings when you use antiperspirant on it and can lead to allergic reactions. However, it is quite unlikely that these substances can get to your breast tissue through these nicks or razor cuts.
Aluminium in antiperspirants can lead to DNA mutation and imbalance in hormonal levels. Research suggests that aluminium can block estrogen receptors of breast tissue cells. As estrogen can promote cancerous and non-cancerous cell growth, scientists conclude that using aluminium based products can increase the risk of breast cancer.
Fact:
Although aluminium can and does block estrogen receptors of breast tissue cells, the important fact is whether or not this amount of absorbed aluminium can cause a hormonal change. A study concluded that antiperspirants usually induce 0.012% absorption of aluminium by the underarms, which is lesser than the amount of aluminium you regularly consume with food. Thus, even though aluminium and zirconium are potential carcinogens, they cannot induce breast or any type of cancer by absorption.
Antiperspirants block sweat and thus prevent you from sweating cancer-causing toxins out through your underarms’ lymph nodes.
Fact:
Lymph nodes usually help flush bacteria, virus and other microbes from the body. They usually don’t induce sweat, and the sweat glands are entirely different. Usually, carcinogenic substances that enter the body are removed from the blood by your kidneys or liver. The kidneys flush these toxins out through urine while the liver expunges them through bile.
John Bailey, Ph.D., Chief Scientist at the Personal Care Products Council, recommends antiperspirants and goes on to claim that “there’s no evidence that suggests a problem.”
Thus, antiperspirant side effects don’t pose many risks to the body, and certainly not cancer risks. So, you can resume spraying and smelling just as desirable as that advertisement claimed you would.
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