Skilled Personal Injury Attorneys Investigating Hair Relaxer-Uterine Cancer Claims

Women have used their hairstyles as personal expressions of who they are throughout time. But recently, it was revealed that one hair grooming technique, known as hair straightening or hair relaxing, may be causing many women physical harm. Chemicals in the products used to straighten hair often include endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which have been linked to cancer and other deadly diseases. Why don’t these products have warnings?

Research Links Uterine Cancer and Hair Relaxers

Many hair relaxer products contain hazardous chemicals with endocrine-disrupting and carcinogenic (cancer-causing) properties. An October 2022 research study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) examined nearly 34,000 female participants, focusing on the association between hair product use and rates of uterine cancer. The study found that women who used hair relaxing products four or more times a year were more than 2.5x times as likely to develop uterine cancer.

While the researchers of this study did not collect information on the brands of the hair products the women used, they noted that several chemicals that have been found in straighteners (such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde) could be contributing to the increased uterine cancer risk observed.

The linkage between uterine cancer and hair relaxers should not be surprising to these products’ makers. For the past two decades, research has revealed that the EDCs contained in hair relaxers and straighteners are harmful to the reproductive system and can induce various cancers. Yet the manufacturers and marketers of these products failed to warn consumers of these risks.

It’s time to try to hold them accountable.

Black Women and the Prevalence of Uterine Cancer in the U.S.

Uterine cancer is the most common cancer of the female reproductive system, with 65,950 estimated new cases in 2022. In May of 2019, the National Institutes of Health reported that the incidence rate of uterine cancer has been rising in the United States, particularly among Black women. And one of the factors that may be contributing to this trend is the use of chemical hair straightening products.

The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (JNCI) published a report estimating that 60% of Black women chemically straighten their hair. The JNCI research linking uterine cancer and hair relaxers also points out, “The adverse health effects associated with straightener use could be more consequential for African Americans and/or Black women because of the higher prevalence and frequency of hair product use, younger age of initiating use and harsher chemical formulations (i.e. higher concentrations of EDCs and chemicals being regulated or banned) than other races and ethnicities.”

Ongoing Lawsuits Involving Hair Straighteners and Uterine Cancer

On October 21, 2022, a mass tort lawsuit was filed on behalf of a woman who developed uterine cancer after using chemical hair straightening products sold by L’Oréal USA. The lawsuit also includes companies that were involved in the development, marketing, and sale of the products.

On November 18, 2022, a motion was made to create a “multidistrict litigation” to combine the various hair relaxer products liability lawsuits. At the time the request was made, there were at least nine actions across four federal courts filed for 13 plaintiffs injured by hair relaxing products containing highly toxic EDCs.

Who Can File a Hair Relaxer Lawsuit?

Women who have used hair relaxing and hair straightening products and have developed uterine cancer can file a lawsuit seeking compensation for the harm they have suffered.

It is expected that many more lawsuits will be filed against the various marketers and manufacturers of hair relaxers as women learn about the research linking these products and uterine cancer.

How Do You File a Hair Straightening Products Lawsuit?

Pursuing justice can be a complicated process. We urge you to find a law firm with battle-tested experience handling defective products and drugs cases to guide you through it. A seasoned attorney can help you:

• Gather evidence, records, and documentation to help build your case
• Keep track of important deadlines and ensure proper filing procedures
• Determine the potential value of your harms and losses
• Negotiate and communicate with the other side
• Represent you in court, if needed

Many may think that hiring an attorney is too expensive, but with us, it’s not. At the Law Offices of James Scott Farrin, we work on a contingency fee basis, which means there are no upfront costs, and you won’t owe us an attorney’s fee unless we recover for you.²

Types of Compensation We Can Help You Fight For

Women who believe hair straightening products and treatments caused their uterine cancer can seek compensation for the following:

• Medical expenses incurred
• Medical treatment needed in the future
• Lost wages
• Pain and suffering
• Emotional trauma

Companies responsible for knowingly producing and selling these dangerous products should be held accountable. You can help yourself by filing a claim for compensation for your suffering. And when you stand up to products manufacturers for yourself, you shine a light on practices that could pose dangers to others.

We can help you. Contact us online today for a free case evaluation.

It’s Time to Seek Justice

Call us at 1-866-900-7078 and tell us your story, or submit your form online. We will listen, gather information, and have an attorney review your case – all while respecting your time and privacy.

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin has recovered $1.8 billion in total compensation for more than 65,000 injured people since 1997.¹ We do not back down from large organizations when we pursue justice for our clients. In fact, we are actively pursuing lawsuits against 3M, DuPont/Chemours, the State of North Carolina, Audible/Amazon, and others. We also played a lead role in one of the largest civil rights case in U.S. history and achieved a $1.25 billion settlement for 15,700+ Black farmers who suffered discrimination by the government.^1,3  We want to help you seek justice, too. 

The Law Offices of James Scott Farrin consults with a national network of attorneys on product liability, defective drugs, and defective products cases in an attempt to provide the best representation we can for our clients. Depending on the details of your case, our firm may refer your matter to another law firm with which we associate. We will only do this if we believe it is in your best interests and if you agree.