Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit

Lawsuits Against Hair Relaxer Manufacturers

A recent lawsuit against L'Oreal and other hair relaxer manufacturers identified several products that may be causing cancer. These include Dark & Lovely, Motions, and Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Relaxer. If you used any of these products or similar hair relaxer products and then developed uterine cancer, breast cancer, or other health issues, the harmful chemicals in these products may have caused your condition.

Contact Scout Law Group today to find out if you may be entitled to significant compensation.

Hair Relaxer Products Involved in Cancer Lawsuit

Hair "relaxes" when high pH alkali solutions degrade the keratin proteins contained in the hair. Relaxer products break the disulfide bonds in the hair and loosen any tight curls. The strong chemicals in these products flatten the hair by altering its protein structure.

Hair relaxer products are used mainly by African American women to straighten their hair. Recent studies have shown some of these products may cause uterine cancer, breast cancer, fibroids, and other serious health conditions.

Which Ingredients Are Harmful?

L'Oreal and other manufacturers use Phthalates, also known as plasticizers, to give their hair products a softer feel. These phthalates may disrupt the endocrine system, which controls the body's hormone production.

Because hair relaxers are applied at the root, they can "burn" your scalp. The harmful Phthalates can then seep into the skin through the openings created by the burns.

Statistics Show Hair Relaxers May Cause Cancer

Recent studies show some of the hazardous chemicals used in hair straightening treatments, such as those contained in L'Oreal products, may increase the risk of uterine cancer. For instance, a study showed women who used chemical hair-straightening treatments have a 4% chance of developing uterine cancer by the time they are 70. But women who did not use these products have only a 1.6% chance.

This study shows women who used hair relaxer products were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer than those who did not use hair relaxers.

Cancer and Other Conditions Caused by Hair Relaxers

Scientific and medical research shows there may be a connection between the harmful chemicals in hair relaxer products (phthalates) and the following health conditions:

• Uterine cancer,
• Uterine fibroids,
• Breast cancer,
• Endometriosis, and
• Preterm delivery.
  

Uterine cancer can come in two forms -- endometrial and sarcoma. Sarcoma is less common but is more aggressive and harder to treat. Endometrial cancer is much more common and more treatable.

Unfortunately, people that are suffering from these types of cancer or other conditions might not know they were caused by hair relaxer products. But the lawsuit recently filed against L'Oreal and others is gaining attention, so many people who have been harmed by these products are learning they may be entitled to compensation.

First Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit Filed

A young Missouri woman who had spent her whole life using chemical hair relaxers filed the first hair relaxer cancer lawsuit on October 21, 2022, in a federal courthouse in Chicago. The lawsuit was filed against L'Oreal and several other beauty products manufacturers. The plaintiff in this case used the following products: Olive Oil Relaxer, Motions, Dark & Lovely, and Organic Root Stimulator.

You should be aware of these other hair products that may also be hazardous:

• Ultra Sheen Supreme
• Soft & Beautiful
• Mizani Rhelaxer
• Creme of Nature
• TCB
• African Pride
• TCB Naturals
• Luster’s
• Africa’s Best
• Ultra Precise
• Bantu
• Optimum
• Just for Me

Plaintiff Developed Cancer After Using Hair Relaxer

The woman that filed the Chicago lawsuit first started using chemical hair relaxer products in 2000 when she was just ten years old. She used the products on a routine basis, approximately every two months. She would either apply them to her hair at home or have a professional do it in a salon.

In August 2018, at the age of 28, she was diagnosed with cancer of the uterus. This woman underwent a complete hysterectomy and is still receiving medical treatment. She had no history of cancer in her family.

Product Liability Lawsuit 

The lawsuit filed in Chicago is a product liability lawsuit against L'Oreal and other hair relaxer manufacturers. A plaintiff files a product liability lawsuit when they have been harmed by a hazardous or defective product. The product's manufacturer is usually targeted in product liability lawsuits, but some lawsuits also claim distributors, retailers, and other parties involved in the supply chain are responsible.

One unique aspect of product liability lawsuits is that the injured party may not need to prove the product manufacturer was negligent. Instead, they only need to show their injuries were caused by a defect in the product. While this can makes these cases simpler in some ways, there are still challenges in proving a product was defective or unreasonably dangerous.

L’Oreal Knew its Products Were Hazardous

There is evidence that L’Oreal knew in 2015 that the chemicals in its hair straightening products were hazardous. However, the FDA did not require them to obtain prior approval before putting these dangerous products on the market.

Furthermore, the FDA does not require hair product manufacturers to list each chemical individually on the label. Instead, they can simply categorize all the substances together as “perfume” or “fragrance.”  Because this information was hidden from the public, innocent consumers bought L’Oreal hair straightening products, not knowing they contained ingredients that could cause cancer. However, the plaintiff in the L’Oreal lawsuit claims the company knew its products contained hazardous chemicals (phthalates) and knew they might cause serious health issues. 

Potential Value of Hair Relaxer Cancer Cases

It is difficult to estimate the value of a hair relaxer cancer case at this early stage. Only time will tell how the scientific evidence will hold up in court as more lawsuits are filed.

We can speculate, however, that a uterine cancer case might have a value of $400,000 to $1,750,000 if the scientific causation evidence is strong. Cases involving relatively young plaintiffs could have a higher value because uterine cancer often causes permanent infertility.

Filing lawsuits against the manufacturers of these hair relaxer products is the only way to hold them accountable for the damage they cause to innocent consumers. It is our way of stopping them from selling products they know are potentially hazardous without doing anything to warn innocent consumers.