Hair Straightener | Freese & Goss

Hair Straightener or Relaxer Cancer Lawsuits

If you used a hair straightening or relaxing product, chances are you have been exposed to cancer causing chemicals.

A lawsuit was recently filed in the Northern District of Illinois against L’Oreal USA, Inc., Products, Namaste Laboratories, Inc., Strength of Nature Global, LLC, Soft Sheen Carson (W.I.), Inc., Dabur International Ltd. and Dabur USA, Inc. on behalf of a woman who regularly used chemical hair straightener products manufactured, marketed, and sold by these companies, and who was diagnosed with uterine cancer, requiring hysterectomy, at the age of 28.

We anticipate that numerous additional lawsuits against these companies will be filed in the coming months.

STUDY SHOWS CONNECTION BETWEEN UTERINE CANCER AND CHEMICAL HAIR STAIGHTENERS OR RELAXERS USE

A new study published October 17, 2022, in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute highlights the increased risk of uterine cancer among women who use hair straightening or relaxing products.

The study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (“NIEHS study”) tracked data from approximately 34,000 women for more than a decade and found that frequent users of chemical hair straightening/relaxing products, defined as using the products four times a year, were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer by age 70 than women who did not use
those products.

Although the study did not specify the specific brands of chemical straighteners/relaxers used by the women involved in the study, the increased risk of uterine cancer was applicable to women who used chemical hair straighteners/relaxers. Chemical hair straighteners/relaxers typically contain products associated with higher cancer risk, including formaldehyde, metals, phthalates,
and parabens, which may be more easily absorbed by the body through scalp burns and abrasions often caused by chemical straighteners/relaxers.

INCREASED UTERINE CANCER RISK AMONG BLACK WOMEN

Studies have shown that black women are diagnosed with uterine cancer at a higher rate than any other race. This increased risk of black women developing uterine cancer is reflected by the results of the recent NIEHS study.

Specifically, despite black women making up only 7.4% of the study’s participants, they made up 59.9% of those who reported using chemical hair straighteners/relaxers. Black women make up the primary consumer demographic for chemical hair straighteners and relaxers. This demographic not only consumes these products more than women of other races, but they use them much earlier in their lives, increasing the amount and duration of exposure to the harmful chemicals.

CONTACT FREESE & GOSS TODAY FOR HELP WITH YOUR HAIR STRAIGHTENER RELAXER LAWSUIT

If you or a loved one used chemical hair straighteners or hair relaxers and have been diagnosed with uterine, endometrial or ovarian cancer, or uterine fibroids requiring a hysterectomy or myomectomy, you may be eligible for compensation. Consult Freese & Goss right away.

Freese & Goss has an experienced team of trial lawyers who focus on the representation of plaintiffs injured by defective drugs, medical devices, and consumer products, including hair straighteners and hair relaxers. Our trial lawyers have years of experience winning high verdicts and settlements for clients injured by defective products. We understand the law, science, and medicine involved in these
cases, and we are committed to helping our clients recover the maximum compensation to which they may be entitled under the law.