Hairdressers and Infertility: Study’s Conclusions Not Hair-Raising

Organic solvents and dyes are potential endocrine disrupters, and occupational exposure to these chemicals may affect female reproductive function. Investigators analyzed cross-referenced data from the Danish Employment Classification Module and the Danish Hospital Registry to assess the risk among hairdressers for reduced ability to conceive. The incidence of hospital contact for a diagnosis of female infertility from 1998 through 2002 was compared in a cohort of hairdressers, a socioeconomically similar reference group of shop assistants, and the population of gainfully employed women in Denmark (baseline age range, 20–44).

Compared with the expected number of 73 infertility cases in the standard population, 68 female hairdressers had docu…