Recent scientific and medical studies have shown that there is a link between some chemical hair relaxers and cancer. In fact, according to a 2022 study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, women who used certain brands of chemical hair relaxers were at a significantly higher risk of developing uterine cancer. As a result, countless women are not questioning if their recent diagnosis was due to dangerous chemicals contained in the hair straightening products they’ve been using for years.
When you use any hair care product, you trust that the manufacturer tested the product and that it is safe for everyday use. However, manufacturers too often rush their products to market without conducting the necessary safety test and, sometimes, disregard known risks about a product after it hits the shelves. Large multinational corporations undoubtedly have the resources to ensure the products they make, market, and sell are safe for their intended uses. When a product is unreasonably dangerous due to the presence of undisclosed and hazardous chemicals, manufacturers can be held liable for the injuries consumers experience as a result of using that product.
At Console & Associates, P.C., we represent women who developed uterine cancer or other types of cancer after regularly using chemical hair straightening products. Our hair relaxer lawyers have more than 25 years of experience holding corporations liable for the dangerous and defective products they release to market and harms they’ve caused. We recognize the emotional and financial difficulties you and your family face as you navigate an unforeseen diagnosis, and we want to help in any way we can. Our team of product liability lawyers is actively investigating hair relaxer lawsuits against the manufacturers of products containing phthalates, an endocrine-disrupting chemical that can cause uterine cancer. As a part of our investigation, we are scheduling free consultations for individuals who used L’Oréal hair straightening products or similar products from other manufacturers and were subsequently diagnosed with cancer.
“The risk of developing uterine cancer in women who use chemical hair-straightening products was 4% by age 70…” Currently, there is medical research suggesting that some of the chemicals contained in certain chemical hair straightening products increase a woman’s chances of developing cancer of the uterus, as well as other types of cancer. For example, a study published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute followed a group of more than 33,000 women who reported using hair relaxer products to track their health. The researchers found that the risk of developing uterine cancer in women who use chemical hair-straightening products was 4% by age 70. However, the risk of developing uterine cancer among women who did not use these products was just 1.6%. Thus, according to this study, women who used hair relaxer products were more than two times as likely to develop uterine cancer.
Of course, this study is the first to consider whether hair relaxers cause cancer, and additional medical and scientific research is warranted. However, at this early stage, it does appear that there is a link between certain hair relaxers and cancer.
The reason medical researchers are reporting that the use of hair relaxers is dangerous to a woman’s health relates to the chemicals contained in the product. Some chemical hair straighteners contain phthalates, also referred to as plasticizers. These chemicals give the product a “softer” feel; however, research suggests that they can also interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system.
In fact, phthalates are known as “endocrine disrupting chemicals. A 2020 study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health explains, “Phthalates belong to the group of endocrine disruptors (EDs), which affect the hormonal balance of the organism. They can alter the development and function of the hormone-dependent structures of the reproductive system. Humans and animals are exposed to mixtures of EDs at low doses in the environment.”
The endocrine system controls the creation and release of hormones in the human body. Thus, chemical hair relaxers interfere with how the endocrine system works and can result in abnormal levels of hormones being released into the body, which current research suggests increases the risk of certain types of cancer.
You are not alone.
The primary cancer risk of using chemical hair straighteners is cancer of the uterus. However, researchers have discovered that these products may contribute to a variety of different types of cancer, including:
Women who used hair relaxer products and were later diagnosed with uterine, breast, or ovarian cancer may have a claim for financial compensation against the manufacturer of the product. These hair relaxer lawsuits can provide women and their families with meaningful compensation intended to offset the economic and quality-of-life damages they suffered as a result of their preventable condition.
It appears that several manufacturers that sell hair relaxers knew their products contained cancer-causing chemicals but continued to sell them anyhow. For example, there is evidence suggesting that L’Oréal was aware of the harmful effects of the chemicals used in the company’s hair straightening products as early as 2015. However, under existing FDA regulations, L’Oréal was not required to obtain prior approval before releasing the products to market. Additionally, hair product manufacturers are not required to specifically list each chemical contained in their products and instead lump them together under “fragrance” or “perfume” ingredients. Thus, companies routinely lump potentially hazardous chemicals together under these seemingly benign ingredients.
The result is that those who purchased L’Oréal hair straightening products had no idea that the product contained a dangerous chemical that could cause them to develop cancer. However, L’Oréal apparently knew that its products contained dangerous phthalates and that these chemicals can lead to severe health conditions. In fact, one woman who recently filed a hair relaxer lawsuit claims that L’Oréal “actively and intentionally concealed and/or suppressed material facts, in whole or in part, to induce consumers … to purchase and use the Products.”
If you or a loved one used chemical hair relaxers and have since been diagnosed with cancer, your diagnosis may have been caused by carcinogenic chemicals that you didn’t know were in your hair products. While nothing can bring your health back to what it was before you started using hair straighteners, you may be eligible for significant compensation through a hair relaxer lawsuit. At Console & Associates, P.C., we’ve assembled a team of product liability lawyers responsible for investigating hair relaxer lawsuits. Our lawyers will work closely with you and medical experts to identify the cause of your cancer and aggressively pursue compensation on your behalf. We offer free consultations to all prospective clients and will not bill you for any of our services unless we can connect you with compensation for what you’ve been through.
If you are interested in learning more about pursuing a hair relaxer product liability claim, reach out to an experienced product liability lawyer at Console & Associates, P.C., at 866-778-5500 or fill out our contact form. We will attentively listen to your story, answer your questions, and offer you guidance about how you may be able to pursue a claim against the parties responsible for your injuries or loss.
