Women who dye their hair at home are less likely to increase their chances of getting cancer, according to the findings of a new study published recently.

Researchers have been trying to find a possible link between hair dye products and certain types of cancer for years, but although the cancer research agency at the World Health Organization has classified dye products through hairdressers as dangerous products possibly, did not give any warning about the products used at home.

The latest study was published in the medical journal BMJ and data were collected from 117,200 women nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. The women had no cancer at the start of the study and were followed for 36 years.

The results showed no increase in cancer risk or death from cancer in women who reported using permanent hair dye products, compared with women who did not use such products. The study found that using hair dye does not increase the risk of bladder, brain, colon, kidney, lung, skin and breast cancer.

The most aggressive dyes are the permanent types (dye that remains in the hair until the hair grows and the natural root is exposed) and these occupy approximately 80% of the hair dyes used in the US, Europe and Asia. Hair coloring is estimated to be used by 50% to 80% of women and 10% of men aged 40 and over in the United States and Europe, according to the study.

The authors highlighted some limitations in the study, including the lack of racial diversity among participants, as mostly white American women of European descent were included. They added that other factors, such as the use of other products, may have influenced the results.