Chemical Hair Relaxer
Hair Straighteners/ Relaxer lawsuit
Recently, hair straighteners/ relaxers have been in the crosshairs of lawyers due to their possible incidence in the diagnosis of uterine fibroids and cancer.
According to an NIEHS (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) study, there was found a relationship between these hair products and the increased risk of serious diseases such as cancer. Therefore, if you are a victim of uterine cancer or fibroids and have used these products for many years, you may be able to file a lawsuit. Do you need to know more? Legal Help Advisor tells you everything.
About the Hair Straighteners lawsuit
NAs we said, since the NIEHS study of October 2022 indicated that women who used hair relaxers several times a year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer 1 , injured women started to file their lawsuits in federal courts around the country. So far, there are approximately 60 women who have already done it, and there could be many more, given the number of people who use these hair products. Therefore, the actions will be centralized in multidistrict litigation before the federal district judge Mary Rowland. In this way, discovery efforts and other pre-trial matters will be expedited.
The plaintiffs mainly target L’Oréal SA, Godrej SON Holdings Inc, and Dabur International Ltd., alleging that the companies knew their products contained dangerous chemicals but marketed and sold them anyway.
For its part, the main lawsuit L’Oréal reported that it trusts the safety of its products and that the recent lawsuits filed have no legal merit.
What are Hair straighteners/ relaxers?
Hair relaxers are chemical products often used by people with curly or kinky hair who prefer a softer, straighter look. They work by breaking down the hair´s natural protein structure, making it more flexible and easy to straighten.
The active ingredient in most hair relaxers is sodium hydroxide (also known as lye), which can be very caustic, causing chemical burns if not used correctly.
Hair relaxers may also contain other chemicals, including phthalates, used as plasticizers to help the product distribute evenly through the hair.
Phthalates
Phthalates are a group of chemicals used to soften and make plastic more flexible. It is used in many products, such as toys, personal care products, food packaging, and building materials.
Phthalates can be harmful to human health, as they can affect the body´s hormonal system, specifically the endocrine system.
This can lead to imbalances in hormone levels and a variety of negative health effects 2.
Phthalates and uterine fibroids
Uterine fibroids are noncancerous growths in the uterus that can cause a range of symptoms, including heavy menstrual bleeding, pelvic pain, and infertility. While the exact causes of uterine fibroids are not fully understood, it is believed that hormonal imbalances
may play a role in their development.
There is some evidence to suggest that exposure to phthalates may be linked to an increased risk of uterine fibroids. This is because phthalates are known to disrupt the body´s hormonal system, which can lead to imbalances in hormone levels that may contribute to the development of fibroids. 3
One study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives found that women with higher levels of certain types of phthalates in their urine were more likely to have uterine fibroids 4. Another study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility found that women with uterine fibroids had higher levels of phthalates in their blood than women without fibroids 5.
Do hair relaxers cause uterine fibroids or cancer?
Hair products have been under scrutiny for several years for their potentially harmful effects on women´s health. Despite evidence linking these hair products to uterine fibroids and even breast and uterine cancer, nothing has changed.
However, in October 2022, a NIEHS study was published that changed the perspective on the risks of straighteners and alerted thousands of women who recognize themselves as possible victims.
Next, we present a series of background information on hair relaxers and their link to uterine fibroids and cancer:
- A study published in the International Journal of Cancer in 2019 found that women who used hair relaxers had an increased risk of developing breast cancer. 6
- The American Journal of Epidemiology in 2017 found a possible link between hair relaxer use and an increased risk of uterine leiomyomata (fibroids) in African American women. The study found that women who used hair relaxers had a 30%
increased risk of developing fibroids, compared to women who did not use hair relaxers. - On October 17, 2022, a NIEHS study was published, which says that women who reported frequent use of hair straightening products were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer than those who did not use them 7.
Note that there is no conclusive evidence that hair relaxers cause cancer. However, some studies have suggested a possible link between hair relaxer use and an increased risk of certain types of cancer.
How to qualify for a hair relaxer lawsuit?
Have you used a chemical hair straightener for many years? Did you suffer from uterine fibroids or any breast or uterine cancer diagnosis? If both questions are yes, you may be able to take legal action against the companies that make the product.
To do this, contact us here and tell us about your experience. Then, an expert adviser on this case will evaluate the information and will be able to guide you in the steps to follow.
If you think you are a victim, do not hesitate to speak with a lawyer from Legal Help Advisor and demand justice.
Sources
1. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
Hair Straightening Chemicals Associated With Higher Uterine Cancer Risk
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/releases/2022/october17/index.cfm
2. US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
Phthalates
https://nepis.epa.gov/Exe/tiff2png.cgi/P100BNSK.PNG?-r+75+-g+7+D%3A%5CZYFILES%5CINDEX%20DATA%5C06THRU10%5CTIFF%5C00001209%5CP100BNSK.TIF
3. NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE
Comprehensive Review of Uterine Fibroids: Developmental Origin, Pathogenesis, and Treatment
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9277653/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.32738
4. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE (EHP)
More than Cosmetic Changes: Taking Stock of Personal Care Product Safety
https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/ehp.123-A120
5. FERTILITY AND STERILITY
Phthalates exposure and uterine fibroid burden among women undergoing surgical treatment for fibroids: a preliminary study
https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(18)32038-7/fulltext
6. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
Hair dye and chemical straightener use and breast cancer risk in a large US population of black and white women
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.32738
7. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY
Hair Relaxer Use and Risk of Uterine Leiomyomata in African-American Women
https://academic.oup.com/aje/article/175/5/432/175919
8. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER
Hair dye and chemical straightener use and breast cancer risk in a large US population of black and white women
9. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
Hair Straightening Chemicals Associated With Higher Uterine Cancer Risk
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/news/newsroom/releases/2022/october17/index.cfm
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ijc.32738
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