By India Espy-Jones ·Updated April 1, 2026 < /> Getting your Trinity Audio player ready… Last year, Consumer Reports conducted a study that found carcinogens, a substance that can increase the risk of cancer, in 10 popular synthetic braiding hair brands. The study raised questions about the standards of braiding hair, the risks Black women unknowingly take, and if there’s even a solution available at all (spoiler: there is). But, in their latest study, one thing’s for certain: human hair is shockingly not it.
“Our test demonstrated that human hair has far higher levels of lead than any other products that we’ve tested,” director of product safety research and testing at Consumer Reports Dr. James Rogers tells ESSENCE. “We don’t think human hair represents a safer alternative.” In leading the study, Rogers tested 30 braiding hair products across human, plant-based, and synthetic categories, including brands people specifically asked him to evaluate, like Gyal and Rebundle, using a hand-to-mouth risk assessment.
His findings showed all but one sample contained heavy metals with lead detected in 29 of the 30 products. And, human hair was by far the worst offender. Ywigs Water Wave Bulk, for example, contained the highest amount of lead of all products tested, hitting exponentially higher than the level CR considers concerning. In fact, all nine human hair products tested, including Yummy Extensions, Shake-N-Go, and Sensationnel, contained the highest lead levels by far.
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It’s worth noting this study’s risk is found using a hand-to-mouth assessment, rather than inhalation or dermal exposure. This means the claims, for example, are measured by the risk of your braider using their mouth to separate strands, braiding while eating, or even you touching your braids then your mouth throughout the month. While you’re not eating your braids (the study’s percentage level of concern is equal to 25 grams of hair or a tennis balls worth), Rogers says their concern is a projected accumulation of exposure, including the risk of heating the hair by burning or dipping your ends and braiding too tightly causing exposure through micro-lesions.
“The hand-to-mouth model was the best model for us to try to determine the risk,” he claims. “But, we also said exposure is probably additive” which means the amount of heavy metals you’re exposed to through braiding hair adds up. In that case, while human hair is often posed as safer than synthetic, Rogers proposed there’s at least two reasons why it’s not. First, the women who grow and sell their hair may be exposed to high levels of lead in their environment, diet, and water, which then accumulates in their hair. Secondly, once the hair is sold, it is further processed through dyeing and chemical treatments (like for adding texture).
Meanwhile, plant-based brands who claim to be non-toxic and free of heavy metals and carcinogens, like Rebundle whose hair is made from banana plant fibers, still contained lead. However, it was the 10th-lowest of the 30 products and did not contain detectable arsenic or cadmium. “Lead is an environmental metal that can occur at low levels in soil and plant-derived materials,” Rebundle’s CEO Ciara Imani May told Consumer Reports in response to the findings about the hair. “We are actively reviewing the findings and investigating potential sources, including raw material inputs and environmental exposure.”
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But, with the majority of braiding hair products posing a risk to Black women’s health, there’s still one brand that didn’t contain any detectible heavy metals at all: Dosso Beauty. While every product contained VOCs like acetone, “of the now 40 products that we’ve tested it has the lower amounts of heavy metals,” Rogers says. “I recommend it to my daughter if she’s concerned about heavy metals because she gets her hair braided all the time.”
Although heavy metals like lead may be difficult to avoid, Dosso Beauty is proof braiding hair can be manufactured more responsibly. According to them, their cleansed Kanekalon Fiber has been tested through two clinical trials (three, including this one) to certify that it is free of lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, flame retardants and after Consumer Reports, arsenic. And, unlike most braiding hair on the market, it’s itch-free and non-irritating because of it.
“That demonstrates to us that artificial braiding hair can be made safer,” Rogers says, which is the entire point of the study. With Dosso Beauty using their findings to leverage their position in the braiding hair market, Rogers says it puts pressure on other brands to raise their standards. “You’re voting with your dollars for safer products” because Black women’s health is worth it.
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