Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuits and Settlements

Use of hair relaxer treatment and certain chemical hair relaxers products has been linked with increased risk of certain types of cancers, including uterine cancer and ovarian cancer.

Those who have purchased such products and regularly used them in their lifetime may have developed these cancers as a result of exposures to potentially harmful chemicals.

If you have been diagnosed with cancer or are currently experiencing any of symptoms listed below and you have been a regular user of hair relaxer products and other home treatments, you could be entitled to compensation. Contact an experienced products liability attorney to learn more about your legal options and how to pursue damages for your medical treatments, personal suffering, and other losses.

Hair Relaxer Products That Have Been Named in the Cancer Lawsuit?

Ms. Mitchell's complaint filed in federal court named several specific products that were allegedly defective because they contained cancer-causing chemicals.

Companies Target Young Black Women Using Slick Marketing and Packaging to Foster Oppressive Beauty Standards

The companies named in the lawsuit have a long history of using marketing, packaging, and messaging tactics in order to encourage the idea that naturally kinky or curly hair was undesirable and that straight hair conforming to a Eurocentric beauty standard was something worth pursuing. These companies continued to engage in these practices despite the fact that research revealing the dangers of their ingredients has been widely reported on since at least 2015.

Companies have an obligation to warn their customers to make an informed decision regarding the risks of using their products. By targeting young Black girls with potentially dangerous products, they instead fostered a culture of negative self-image and a desire to alter hair to conform to Eurocentric and racialized concepts of beauty.

Products Named in Lawsuit

  • Olive Oil Relaxer
  • Motions
  • Dark & Lovely
  • Organic Root Stimulator

Damages Available in Settlements Related to Hair Relaxer Litigation

As of yet, no purveyors of cancer-causing products have been held liable for exposing customers to cancer-causing chemicals found in chemical hair relaxers. With over 10 million people reporting the use of at-home permanent or relaxer treatments in 2020, there are likely to be thousands of victims waiting to file their own legal actions and get their respective day in court.

Speaking to an experienced products litigation team is the only way to begin documenting your case and seeking losses for medical treatments and other costs related to a cancer diagnosis. Our proven defective products lawsuit attorneys will work closely with those suffering from ovarian or uterine cancer diagnoses. We will help you document your medical costs, account for any directly related costs you have suffered as a result of your diagnosis, project the cost of future treatments, and help you seek compensation for other losses, including lost earnings and your own personal pain, suffering, and emotional distress.

A hair relaxer cancer lawsuit settlement could potentially include damages for:

  • Past and future medical treatments for cancer and other conditions directly related to harmful chemical exposure
  • Past and future lost wages, including loss of income potential as a result of a chronic or terminal illness
  • Past and future pain and suffering, including the loss of reproductive capability or the loss of time spent in the company of loved ones

Every cancer diagnosis is devastating and can leave victims feeling alone and helpless. With the assistance of our attorneys, we can fight for the compensation and the justice needed to restore the losses inflicted by uterine cancer or ovarian cancer. We can even pursue claims on behalf of loved ones who have passed as a result of their cancers following exposure to harmful hair relaxer chemicals. Their voices deserve to be heard, and their families deserve to recover the severe financial and emotional losses inflicted upon them as a result of their experience.

Shocking Fact: Chemical Hair Relaxers Have NOT Been Approved by the FDA!

Unlike many products used for health and beauty treatments, hair relaxers do not require pre-approval by the FDA in order to market and distribute them in the U.S.! These products are widely available in stores in every neighborhood, yet they do not undergo the same scrutiny as other products found on nearby store shelves. Nevertheless, manufacturers and distributers of these products are required by federal laws like the FD&C Act and FPLA to adhere to packaging regulations when marketing their products on U.S. soil, including the use of labeling to indicate potentially harmful chemicals are present.

Federal Food,
Drug & Cosmetic Act

The Federal Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) forbids companies from marketing and selling products that are "adulterated" or "misbranded."

An adultured product can include any that contain substances known to cause injury to the user or that have been contained in such a way as to cause the product to become harmful to the user's health.

A misbranded product includes any product that has been deceptively packaged or improperly labeled, which can include products missing warnings regarding the potential risks and dangers of their chemical components.

While it is against the law to put harmful ingredients in products, cosmetic companies nevertheless are not required to submit safety data to the FDA.

Fair Packaging
and Labeling Act of 1966

This consumer protection legislation directs the FDA and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to regulate product manufacturers' truthful disclosure of information on labels and packages, including the contents, commodity, and name and place of businesses of the product's manufacturer, packer, or distributor.

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Scientific Studies Link Hair Relaxer Products to Increased Risk of Cancer

A number of studies published recently (and over the past decade) have raised alarm bells in regards to the potentially deadly link between chemical hair relaxer use and an increased risk of uterine and ovarian cancers.

Study Links Hair Relaxer Products to Increased Risk of Ovarian cancer

A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) published on October 17, 2022, revealed that women who used chemical hair relaxers suffered a higher rate of uterine cancer compared to individuals who did not use these products. 33,497 women living in the U.S. and of the ages of 35-74 were tracked for a period averaging around 11 years. 378 women in the study group developed uterine cancer. When comparing those who had been diagnosed with uterine cancer to those who had not, statistical modeling revealed that women were twice as likely to develop a form of uterine cancer when they had used chemical hair relaxing products four times or more in the year preceding their enrollment.

Study Links Hair Relaxing Chemicals To Higher Uterine Cancer Risk

A study published in the journal Carcinogenesis on October 5, 2021 revealed that frequent use of certain hair care products, including hair relaxer kits, increased the risk of ovarian cancer over time. The study followed 40,559 women participants over an average longitudinal follow-up period of 10 years. 241 of the women in the study group were diagnosed with ovarian cancers. Use of at-home relaxer kits and pressing products with a frequency of at least more than four times each year was associated with a statistically significant increase in the development of uterine cancers, doubling the risk of cancer when compared to the group that did not use such products at that frequency.

Why Are Hazardous Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals Found In Hair Relaxers Considered Dangerous?

An endocrine-disrupting chemical (EDC) is any chemical known or strongly suspected to interfere with the human endocrine system. The endocrine system is responsible for regulating the body's hormones, affecting many of our most important chemical and physical cycles related to development, reproduction, brain functioning, immune response, and other vital bodily functions.

An EDC can mimic human hormones or otherwise interfere with their healthy functioning. They may cause issues with reproduction, development, brain activity, immune response, and more. These chemicals are found in household products used by people every day, including certain liners used in cans for foodstuffs, plastic packaging and containers, flame retardant chemicals, food preservatives, cosmetics, pesticides, and even children's toys! Making matters worse, many of the most-concerning endocrine chemicals break down slowly in the environment, allowing them to build up in areas where humans may come into contact with or inside the bodies of plant and animal organisms we consume as food.

Humans exposed to EDCs may experience strange disruptions to their body's normal functioning. The health effects can include:

  • Development of cancer
  • Compromised immune functioning
  • Nervous system dysfunction
  • Diabetes
  • Endometriosis
  • Increased risk of obesity
  • Metabolic issues
  • Respiratory issues
  • Neurological impairment
  • Cardiovascular-related health challenges
  • Impaired quality and development of sperm or ova
  • Developmental disabilities, learning disabilities
  • Abnormalities in reproductive organs or organ functioning

Many hair care products use chemicals called phthalates, a known EDC , including those named in the recent lawsuit against hair relaxer manufacturers. Phthalates can increase the risk for development of uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and other potential health conditions.

What Is Uterine Cancer?

Uterine cancer develops when normal, healthy cells in the uterus become genetically altered and begin growing uncontrollably. The uterus includes the cervix as well as the isthmus and the fundus. Cancerous cell growth leads to the formation of tumors, disrupting normal functioning of the organ's tissues while potentially metastisizing to other organs in the body.

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, uterine cancer is the most common form of cancer affecting the female reproductive system.

Types of Uterine Cancer

Uterine cancer develops from two main forms of cancerous cell development:

  • Adenocarcinoma (endometrial cancer), which develops from the endometrium, the mucous membrane cells lining the interior of the uterus.
  • Sarcoma, which develops from other soft supporting tissues found throughout the structure of the uterus

Symptoms and Signs That May Indicate Uterine Cancer

The development of uterine cancer could develop into several types of changes or worrisome symptoms that you may have experienced. These include:

  • Abnormal results from a Pap test
  • Pain in the lower abdomen or pelvic region
  • Unusual vaginal bleeding, spotting, or discharge

Talk to a medical professional immediately if you have experienced any of the following changes or signs, as you may have developed uterine cancer.

Treatment for Uterine Cancer

All of the following are used as effective treatments to either eliminate uterine cancer tissues or halt its spread:

  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Hormone therapy
  • Targeted therapy

What Is Ovarian Cancer?

Ovarian cancer develops when cells in the ovaries, fallopian tubes, or peritoneum mutate and begin growing uncontrollably, forming cancerous tumors, according to the American Society of Clinical Oncology. The alteration of healthy tissues and growth of tumors impairs healthy organ functioning, and these cancer cells may also spread to other vital organs of the body.

Types of Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian cancer can be categorized into the following types, based on the cells it originates from:

  • Sex cord stromal tumors
  • Germ cell malignancies
  • Epithelial carcinoma
  • Fallopian tube cancer

Symptoms and Signs That May Indicate Ovarian Cancer

The development and spread of ovarian cancer can lead to the following symptoms or bodily changes:

  • Abdominal bloating
  • Abdominal or pelvic pain
  • Back pain
  • Pelvic or abdominal swelling
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Indigestion
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Painful sexual intercourse
  • Upset stomach
  • Trouble eating or quickly feeling full
  • Urinary changes
    (frequency or urgency)
  • Vaginal discharge
    (white, clear, or blood-tinged)

Seek an ovarian cancer screening from a medical care professional if you have experienced any of the above symptoms.

Treatment for Ovarian Cancer

  • Surgery
  • Chemotherapy
  • Radiation therapy
  • Immunotherapy
  • Hormone therapy
  • Targeted therapy

We Provide You With a Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit Attorney to Fight for Your Recovery of Damages

Corporations manipulate people into feeling insecure and seeking out the use of products containing chemicals manufacturers know to be harmful. When companies put their own profit before the safety of the American public, all while exploiting racist beauty standards, it represents the peak of callous negligence.

If you have received a uterine or ovarian cancer diagnosis and were a regular user of chemical hair relaxer kits, then call us. We will fight for you to document your health issues, connect your diagnosis to exposure to harmful chemicals, account for every penny of your losses, and seek the maximum amount of compensation available.

Whether you have received a cancer diagnosis or you have lost a loved one, it is understandable to be scared. Know that we are here to help you get the treatment you need and to use the justice system to seek to hold those responsible for all of your costs. Your representation comes with no up-front fees, and we can provide you with a 100% free consultation with no obligation to use our services afterwards.

Hair Straightener

Schedule your free, confidential, no-risk case review now when you call a hair relaxer cancer lawsuit attorney at (888) 928-7768 or simply complete our Free & Confidential Hair Relaxer Cancer Evaluation Form.

(888) 928-7768