Who Is Eligible to File a Lawsuit?
Why Are People Filing Chemical Hair Straightener Lawsuits?
What Is Chemical Hair Straightener?
Types of Chemical Hair Straightening Treatments
Known Side Effects of Chemical Hair Straighteners
Hair Straightener’s Link to Uterine Cancer
What Cancers Are Caused by Chemical Hair Straighteners?
Lawsuits Against Chemical Straightener Makers
Were You Harmed by Hair Straighteners?
Diagnosed with cancer or other serious conditions after using chemical hair straighteners?
Chemical hair straightener lawsuits claim that the straighteners made by L’Oreal and other companies can cause uterine cancer and other health issues. According to lawsuits, manufacturers failed to warn that their products could increase the risk of uterine cancer, breast cancer, fibroids and endometriosis. Contact us today for your free case review.
When any product is allowed to be sold on the market, it should be fully tested and proven safe to use. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. One of the latest examples is chemical hair straighteners, which studies have now linked to an increased risk of uterine cancer.
This is a troubling revelation for many consumers, particularly Black women who comprised about 60% of the study participants. While this is a relatively new development, Join the Many is keeping a close watch on the legal happenings surrounding it and is committed to supporting victims and their families as things unfold.
If you or someone you love used chemical hair relaxers and later developed uterine or endometrial cancer, now is the time to prepare for action. When it’s time to hold manufacturers accountable, Join the Many will be ready to stand with you. For now, here is everything you need to know about chemical hair straighteners and the study behind its link to cancer.
Women who have used hair relaxers during their lives face an increased risk for both uterine cancer and breast cancer. Manufacturers have known for years that ingredients in hair relaxers are carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Critics say manufacturers had a responsibility to warn the public of the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer from hair relaxers. Additionally, safe alternatives have been readily available, yet women were unaware of the risk they were taking. As a result, millions of women have been exposed to a heightened risk for deadly cancer from hair relaxer treatment.
Women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer or uterine cancer and have a history of exposure to chemical hair relaxers are seeking clarification of the qualifications required to participate in a hair relaxer cancer lawsuit. Our law firm offers free, no-obligation, confidential consultations to anyone who feels they may have a claim, but we have outlined the basic qualifications in this section. In general, these are factors that are considered in each hair relaxer lawsuit claim.
Hair Relaxer Exposure: Research shows that women who use hair relaxers are at risk for developing breast cancer and uterine cancer. As many as 90% of Black women report having used hair relaxers some time during their lifetime, often starting at a young age, before puberty. Many hair relaxers contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) which alter natural hormone levels and are known to cause cancer. If you or a loved one was exposed to chemical hair relaxers, you may be eligible to file a hair relaxer lawsuit.
Frequency of Use: The more often a person has their hair relaxed, the higher their risk for developing breast cancer or uterine cancer. Women who use hair relaxers every 5-8 weeks face the highest risk for cancer. Anyone using hair relaxers at least four times per year may be eligible to file a hair relaxer cancer lawsuit.
Cancer Diagnosis: Breast cancer and uterine cancer have been linked to regular hair relaxer use. Many hair relaxers contain known carcinogens and EDCs such as formaldehyde, phthalates, estrogens and parabens. These substances are often included in a broad category of ingredients such as “fragrance” or “perfumes”, and consumers of hair relaxers have no idea of the risk for cancer from hair relaxers. Women who have developed breast cancer or uterine cancer may be eligible to file a hair relaxer cancer lawsuit.
For women and family members of women who meet these qualifications, it is likely you will be eligible to file a hair relaxer lawsuit for breast cancer or uterine cancer. There are multiple reasons to file a claim. First, hair relaxer cancer lawyers believe individuals who have suffered from breast cancer or uterine cancer from hair relaxer exposure may be eligible for significant compensation for medical expenses, missed work, pain, suffering, and loss associated with hair relaxer cancer.
Diagnosed with cancer or other serious conditions after using chemical hair straighteners?
People are filing chemical hair straightener lawsuits because they claim these hair straighteners increase the risk of uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, breast cancer and endometriosis. They started filing lawsuits after a 2022 National Institutes of Health study found the risk of uterine cancer was higher in women who used chemical hair straighteners.
Women who used these products more than four times a year had more than double the risk of uterine cancer, according to the NIH study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. In addition to uterine cancer, other studies have linked chemical hair straighteners to increased risk of uterine fibroids, endometriosis and breast cancer.
Companies being sued include L’Oreal, Strength of Nature, Soft Sheen and others. Lawsuits claim that these products were heavily marketed to Black women, who are more likely to use chemical hair straighteners.
Thirty-two-year-old Jenny Mitchell was one of the first women to file a lawsuit in October 2022 after doctors diagnosed her with uterine cancer. Her lawsuit claimed that her uterine cancer “was directly and proximately caused by her regular and prolonged exposure to phthalates and other endocrine disrupting chemicals found in Defendants’ hair care products.”
Chemical hair straightening works by using heat and chemicals to break down the natural bonds in hair. Three types of these bonds are disulfide, hydrogen and salt bonds.
When people apply chemical hair straighteners to hair, they break disulfide bonds. This allows the hair to be straightened. It typically lasts until hair grows out.
Chemicals in hair straighteners include sodium hydroxide, ammonium thioglycolate, sodium thioglycolate, formaldehyde, cyclosiloxanes, parabens, diethanolamine, phthalates, benzophenone-3 and triclosan. Exposure to these chemicals may cause cancer or other health issues.
There are a few different kinds of chemical straightening treatments, depending on what type of hair you have. Those with curlier hair may require stronger treatments that last, and these tend to be more damaging to the hair and scalp.
Before the study linking hair straighteners and relaxers to cancer, these treatments were known to cause other harmful side effects. They include:
In October of 2022, a study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute revealed a startling link between chemical hair straighteners and relaxers to various types of cancer.
The study used data from more than 33,000 women and included research on risk factors for breast cancer and other health issues. Participants were asked which hair products they had used in the last year, including straighteners, relaxers, dyes, permanents, or body waves. Researchers were specifically interested in chemical hair treatments because of concerns that the chemicals could be absorbed through the scalp.
After an average of nearly 11 years of follow-up, women who said they used chemical hair straighteners were nearly twice as likely to have developed uterine cancer than those who didn’t. Women who said they used chemical straighteners frequently (more than four times in a year) were about 2.5x more likely to develop uterine cancer.
The study indicated no links between uterine cancer and other hair products like dyes, highlights, and permanents.
Research will continue to understand if there’s a definitive answer to the question of whether or not chemical hair straighteners cause uterine cancer, including which chemicals may pose the biggest risk.
Uterine cancer and breast cancer are the top two cancers linked to hair straighteners. Researchers have found that endocrine disrupting chemicals, or EDCs, in chemical hair straighteners are to blame for an increased cancer risk.
In addition to cancer, studies have also linked chemical hair straighteners to endometriosis and uterine fibroids. People who frequently use these products have a greater risk of cancer and other health problems.
According to researchers, women who use the products more than four times a year, or every five to eight weeks, have the greatest risk of developing uterine or breast cancer. Phthalates, parabens and a very toxic chemical called DEHP are some of the cancer-causing chemicals in hair straighteners.
A greater proportion of Black women reported using hair straighteners, researchers found.
Uterine Cancer
The 2022 NIH study found women who use the products more than four times in 12 months have more than double the uterine cancer risk.
Scientists studied data from 33,947 women aged 35 to 74. They found that women who reported using hair straighteners had higher incidence rates of uterine cancer than those who did not use straighteners.
Breast Cancer
A 2019 NIH study also linked chemical hair straighteners to an increased risk of breast cancer. Researchers found a 30% increased risk of breast cancer in women who used chemical hair straighteners every five to eight weeks.
In addition, researchers found Black women had a higher risk of breast cancer from chemical hair straighteners because they were more likely to use these products.
While the study linking chemical hair relaxers to uterine cancer is fairly new, victims have thankfully wasted no time in coming forward. Consumers, especially women, who believe these products may be to blame for their cancer diagnosis are filing lawsuits against chemical hair straightening companies in the hopes they can recover damages for the pain they’ve endured and protect others from experiencing the same trauma.
Cosmetic brands in chemical hair straightener lawsuits include L’Oreal products and popular brands such as Soft & Beautiful and Dark and Lovely.
“Defendants knew or should have known that their hair relaxer products were dangerous and defective because they contain highly toxic EDCs and they manufactured, marketed and sold them anyway,” according to lawsuits.
Here are some of the companies named in lawsuits so far:
Lawsuits claim these companies knew or should have known their products were dangerous and defective because they contain highly toxic chemicals, yet they manufactured and sold them anyway. In November 2022, lawyers for victims requested the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation to consolidate all of the cases in multidistrict litigation in Illinois.
Diagnosed with cancer or other serious conditions after using chemical hair straighteners?
Diagnosed with cancer or other serious conditions after using chemical hair straighteners?
If you believe your uterine cancer may be linked to chemical hair straightener use, we’re here for you. When litigation against the companies responsible for this harmful negligence takes off, we’ll be ready to get to work for you immediately.
Once we determine if your case qualifies, we can connect you with the best legal care for your situation. Join the Many only partners with legal professionals who are as committed to your comfort and peace of mind as we are. They’ll handle every aspect of your case at no upfront cost. You’ll pay no legal fees unless you’re awarded compensation.
Did you develop uterine cancer, breast cancer, endometriosis or uterine fibroids after using chemical hair straighteners?
You may be eligible to file a chemical hair straightener lawsuit if you used a chemical hair straightener and received a diagnosis of uterine cancer, breast cancer, uterine fibroids or endometriosis. Only a licensed attorney can tell you if you are eligible.
A chemical hair straightener lawyer may ask you about your experience with chemical hair straighteners. If you have any receipts or medical records, make sure you have these with you when you speak to an attorney. If you aren’t sure about your diagnosis, the lawyer may be able to help you obtain medical records.
If you believe you have a qualifying case, we are here to provide a free, no-obligation case review to determine if you may be eligible for a settlement. If you are, we’ll carefully match you with the best attorney for your case. There are no legal fees unless you win compensation. Contact us today to get started.
Lawyers expect many more people to file chemical hair straightener lawsuits and are still accepting cases. In November 2022, they filed a motion to consolidate all the cases in multidistrict litigation in Illinois. So far, there have been no trials or settlements announced.
More than a dozen individual injury cases have been filed. Defendants also face an Illinois class action that demands L’Oreal and other companies reimburse plaintiffs for the full purchase price of the defective products.
“The presence of EDCs in Defendants’ Toxic Hair Straightener was not disclosed in the products’ label, in violation of state and federal law,” according to the class action complaint.
If you or a loved one was diagnosed with uterine cancer or breast cancer and have a history of having your hair relaxed, you may be entitled to damages. We provide free no-obligation hair relaxer lawsuit case review for uterine cancer and breast cancer claims. We do not charge attorney fees unless you receive compensation and you are under no obligation after your initial consultation.
A member of our team is standing by ready to help you pursue your legal claim or guide you with your hair relaxer claim.
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