Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Tied to Cancer: Are You at Risk?

Are you tired of dealing with frizzy and coiled hair? If so, you might have turned to chemical hair relaxers, hoping for a smooth and straight look. But don’t forget that these chemical hair relaxers can leave you with burns, hair loss, and even worse.

In this blog, we dive deep into hair relaxer lawsuits and how to fight back if you have been a victim.

Before that, are you struggling to find relevant information in medical records for your case? Why not reach out for professional help?

What Exactly is a Hair Relaxer?

Hair relaxers are cream or lotion-based chemical products that are used to straighten hair by relaxing the curls. When the curls are relaxed, the hair can be styled into various straight hairstyles. Hair relaxers are commonly used by black women. Millions of American women have used hair relaxers since the 1900s.

The different types of hair relaxers are categorized by the active agents used to break the chemical bonds in the hair.

Types of hair relaxers include the following:

Lye relaxers: It’s otherwise called sodium hydroxide (NaOH) relaxers. NaOH is one of the most powerful compounds found in many popular hair relaxers. These relaxers are commonly used on curly or wavy hair.

No lye relaxers: These relaxers are harsher on the hair compared to lye relaxers and can cause your hair to dry out quickly. Products labeled “no lye” still contain other damaging hydroxides such as calcium hydroxide, guanidine carbonate, and lithium hydroxide, which are associated with hair loss and scalp burns.

Thio relaxers: It is not suitable for coarse or coily hair. These relaxers are mild and least effective in straightening the hair and have increased pH levels. This relaxer contains ammonium thioglycolate, which is used in hair perms.

What does Hair Relaxer Do?

The basic ingredients used to relax your hair are actually far more alkaline, not acidic, than the dyeing agents employed, which are already acidic (pH level 9–10). Hair relaxers involve very alkaline solutions with a pH level of 12-14. The high pH helps open hair cuticles, so the relaxing agents can go deep inside the hair. The active agents like thio, lye, and no-lye relaxers, target and weaken the naturally robust disulfide bonds that give hair its shape.

Consider the health risks posed by chemicals powerful enough to attack and disrupt disulfide bonds by 40%-50%.

Is hair relaxer bad for your hair? Of course. All chemical-contained products can damage your hair.

Long-Term Effects of Hair Relaxers

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, frequent complaints related to the use of chemical hair relaxers include hair loss, hair thinning, dandruff, frizzy hair, and hair breakage.

Long-term use of hair relaxers can cause:

• Uterine cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Uterine fibroids
• Lungs damage

Prolonged use of these products has been scientifically linked to severe health issues, including breast cancer. Long-term hair relaxer use can have catastrophic side effects and may prompt some people to file a hair relaxer lawsuit.

It is important to seek medical attention if you have suffered from chemical hair relaxer side effects.

Link between Hair Relaxers and Cancer

The connection between the use of chemical hair straighteners and the risk of cancer became widely recognized after multiple studies by NIEHS.

A Black Women’s Health Study (2012) investigated the link between the utilization of hair relaxers and the risk of uterine leiomyomata (fibroids) in premenopausal black women from 1997 to 2009. The study found that women who used hair relaxers were more likely to develop uterine fibroids compared to those who never used them.

A 2019 study conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) published in the International Journal of Cancer discovered that women who have used chemical hair relaxers more than 6 times annually experience around a 30% increased risk of breast cancer.

An Oxford University journal study in 2021 identified that regular and long-term use of lye-based relaxer products can cause breast cancer in black women.

The Black women’s Health Study in the USA aimed to explore the link between the use of hair relaxers and breast cancer in black women. The study followed 50,543 women and recorded 2,311 cases of breast cancer.

The study identified that heavy use of lye-containing hair relaxers carries some risk of developing Estrogen Receptor Positive (ER+) breast cancer.

You might be able to claim hair relaxer breast cancer lawsuit if you or a loved one used hair straightening products and after you diagnosed with breast cancer.

A 2023 study conducted on 44,798 black women over a period from 1997 to 2019 investigated the link between chemical hair relaxer use and uterine cancer risk. Among postmenopausal women, heavy use of relaxers was associated with a 1.64 times higher risk of uterine cancer compared to those who never or infrequently used them.

Additionally, moderate use and long-term use showed increased risk. However, no significant association was found among premenopausal women.

These findings suggest that long-term use of chemical hair relaxers may increase uterine cancer risk in postmenopausal black women, indicating a potential modifiable risk factor.

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute study in 2022 aimed to identify the link between hair relaxers and uterine cancer in 33,947 women aged 35-74. The study finds that women who use hair relaxers have a higher chance of developing uterine cancer.

The study also indicated that women who utilized chemical hair relaxers more than 4 times per year had double the risk of uterine cancer compared to women who abstained from using these products.

Approximately 60% of participants who reported using chemical straighteners were black women.

Although the study didn’t pinpoint the specific products or ingredients responsible for the elevated risk, it suggested that consistent exposure to chemicals in hair relaxers and straighteners could be the underlying cause.

As a result of these studies, many women came forward and began to file hair relaxer lawsuits.

Several chemicals were identified that could increase the risk of uterine cancer in women, including:

• Parabens
• Bisphenol A
• Various metals
• Formaldehyde
• Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate (DEHP)
• Cyclosiloxanes

Hair Relaxer Hysterectomy Lawsuit

The first lawsuit against hair relaxer was filed on October 21, 2022 by a Missouri woman who was diagnosed with uterine cancer. This lawsuit was initiated after the 2022 NIEHS study, which found a link between hair relaxers and uterine cancer.

Following this lawsuit, the number of hair relaxer lawsuits increased and were consolidated into a multidistrict litigation. People continued to file hair straightener cancer lawsuits with the MDL. Separately, a hair straightener class action lawsuit targeting various hair relaxer manufacturers also began.

While an MDL addresses compensation for diseases linked to long-term hair relaxer usage and retains the individual status of each plaintiff, a class action lawsuit represents a collective of injured parties and seeks compensation for the purchase of these harmful chemical hair relaxers.

In November 2022, an application to consolidate the multiple hair relaxer lawsuits into an MDL was submitted to the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation. This led to the establishment of MDL 3060, titled IN RE: Hair, Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, and Product Liability Litigation, presided over by a District Judge in Chicago, Illinois.

Mitchell’s diagnosis of uterine cancer in August 2018 is attributed to the use of products from the defendants. Starting around the age of 10, Mitchell had been using these hair relaxers until March 2022. After the cancer diagnosis, she had to undergo a full hysterectomy.

A hysterectomy is a major surgical procedure that involves the partial or complete removal of the uterus. People who undergo a hysterectomy due to the use of chemical hair relaxers can file a hair relaxer hysterectomy lawsuit.

If you have developed uterine cancer due to the use of chemical hair relaxers, you could face financial burdens from medical treatments and lost wages. Medical expenses might include diagnostic tests, chemotherapy, radiation, hospital stays, and surgery.

Recovery from uterine cancer is often lengthy and may require substantial time off from work. Following a hysterectomy, for example, you may need six to eight weeks for recovery, impacting your ability to work and earn income.

Additional treatments, like radiation and chemotherapy, may extend this period of work absence further. This time away from work can lead to a loss of income. Discuss these costs with your attorney to ensure they are fully accounted for in your legal claim.

Let’s see which hair relaxers cause cancer and the defendants named in the lawsuit list.

Optimize your health outcomes with the support of our thorough medical record review services – get started right away!

Defendants of the Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit

Some of the defendants on the hair products lawsuit list include:

L’Oreal USA

• SoftSheen Carson
• Optimum
• Dark & Lovely
• Mizani

Dabur International (Namaste Laboratories)

• ORS Olive Oil Relaxer

Strength of Nature Global

• Motions
• Just for Me
• African pride
• Soft and beautiful
• TCB naturals

Revlon

• Crème of Nature
• All ways natural relaxer
• Fabulaxer
• French Perm
• Revlon Realistic
• Revlon Professional
• Herba Rich

Avalon Industries

• Affirm

Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Updates

Updates in 2023 

In February 2023, the JPML decided to combine all federal cases involving hair relaxer product liability into a single class-action MDL. This new consolidated action is allocated to Judge Mary Rowland in the Northern District of Illinois.

As of October 16, 2023, there are 5,996 cases currently pending in the hair relaxer Multi-District Litigation (MDL). Given the current rate of progress, it appears that the volume of cases will continue to grow.

Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Update 2024

January 2024 Update on Relaxer Lawsuit

The initial bellwether trial is set for November 3, 2025, followed by a second trial on February 2, 2026. Bellwether trials in MDL cases create urgency for defendants to settle, provide early compensation opportunities for victims, and significantly influence settlement negotiations based on trial outcomes.

August 2024 Update

As of August 2, 2024, approximately 7,946 active lawsuits are pending in hair relaxer MDL-3060 in the Northern district of Illinois.

A recent update on hair relaxer lawsuit indicates that Walgreens and CVS will not be included in the Master Complaint. The Master Complaint allows plaintiffs to easily file their cases by selecting relevant defendant and injuries from a pre-approved list, which mainly includes cosmetic manufacturers. If you wants to sue Walgreens or CVS, you can manually add these retailers to their complaint.

Another issue in the case involves claims related to cancers other than ovarian, uterine, or endometrial cancer. Plaintiffs and defendants are at a standstill over whether these claims should be dismissed for now, allowing them to be refiled later if necessary. Discussions to resolve this have not been successful, and the Court may step in to settle the matter after August 29.

A state court in Illinois, under Judge Patrick T. Stanton, is expected to set five of these cases for trial in 2025. This could be the first time a jury hears evidence linking popular hair straighteners, like Dark & Lovely, to serious health risks, including uterine and ovarian cancer.

September 2024 Update

Around 500 new lawsuits were added to the existing hair relaxer MDL, spiking the total to 8,489.

Plaintiffs in the L’Oréal lawsuits are urging the court to enforce previous orders requiring L’Oréal USA to produce documents from its parent company, L’Oréal S.A. The court had already decided that L’Oréal USA controls these documents, but the company keeps arguing against it. The plaintiffs are frustrated and say L’Oréal USA is delaying the process with excuses.

October 2024 Update

U.S. District Judge is allowing hair relaxer class action lawsuits against several cosmetics companies, including L’Oreal and Revlon, to continue. This decision was made on October 1, 2024.

In addition to these personal injury claims, there are class action lawsuits from consumers who haven’t suffered physical harm yet but say they were sold unsafe products. They are seeking economic damages and funding for future medical checks.

In early February 2024, the companies tried to dismiss these class action lawsuits, arguing that federal law preempted the claims. However, in March, plaintiffs responded, asserting their right to proceed.

On September 27, 2024, Judge Mary Rowland mostly sided with the plaintiffs, allowing the lawsuits to move forward. She dismissed some claims based on state laws but rejected the manufacturers’ arguments that the plaintiffs had no standing to sue.

Judge Rowland overseeing chemical hair relaxer lawsuits will meet with lawyers on October 10, to discuss the current state of the case, ongoing discovery, and whether to begin selecting cases for early test trials.

Plaintiffs are pushing for the production of documents from L’Oréal related to the development of products like Dark & Lovely, which was discussed in a hearing on October 3. The bellwether trials, once they happen, could guide future settlements or trials, but their outcomes won’t be binding for all cases in the MDL.

On October 11, 2024, Judge Rowland ordered both sides to finish written discovery (gathering evidence) by February 28, 2025, and oral discovery by September 30, 2025. Defendants must respond to a consolidated class action complaint by November 12, 2024. The initial trials are expected to take place in 2026 or later.

November 2024 Update

Number of claims in hair relaxer MDL is slowly increasing. around 100 new claims are added to the MDL, totalling the pending claims to 9,488.

Some disputes have slowed down the hair relaxer lawsuit progress. To manage these conflicts faster, Judge Rowland appointed Magistrate Judge Beth W. Jantz on October 25 to handle any issues without altering deadlines. Judge Jantz has scheduled regular case management conferences, including dates like November 14, 2024, January 9, 2025, and every month until December 11, 2025, to keep the discovery on track.

After the discovery process, Judge Rowland will hold “bellwether” trials to test how juries respond to evidence, which could influence possible settlement talks.

On November 12, 2024, Judge Rowland will hold a status conference to review progress, including handling motions to dismiss claims for injuries not currently prioritized and developing the “bellwether” trial process.

December 2024 Update

Around 200 new lawsuits are added to the ongoing MDL, bringing the total 9,649.

On December 3, 2024, a wrongful death lawsuit was filed as part of the growing hair relaxer cancer litigation on behalf of Alice Yusuf. Her husband, Siaka Yusuf, claims that Alice developed ovarian cancer after decades of using hair relaxer products, which eventually led to her death. Defendants in the case include major manufacturers such as L’Oreal, SoftSheen-Carson, and Strength of Nature.

The Yusuf lawsuit lists several hair relaxer products Alice used between 1990 and 2021, such as Vitale Mo’Body Relaxer, Dark & Lovely products, and Design Essentials. Alice was diagnosed with ovarian cancer on December 19, 2021, which led to her passing. The claims in the lawsuit include negligence, failure to warn, defective design, and wrongful death.

Disagreement on Bellwether Pool Selection

Judge Rowland started a “bellwether” process to test a small group of hair relaxer lawsuits in early trials to guide future cases. In November 2023, both sides failed to agree on selecting 16 bellwether cases and setting trial dates. Plaintiffs accuse defendants of delaying the process, while defendants want more time to review case details.

On December 13, 2024, Judge Rowland denied a request to delay until January 2025 and ordered both sides to submit briefings by January 3, 2025, on case selection and discovery timelines. The court will issue a plan for case selection and trial preparation. While non-binding, the results of these trials may influence settlements and payouts.

Brands that produce chemical hair straighteners can be held liable for any health issues, such as cancer, caused by their products. Those affected may be entitled to compensation and may also have the option to initiate a class-action lawsuit to represent all impacted individuals.

To file a chemical hair straightener lawsuit against the manufacturer, you must meet the following criteria:

• You regularly used a chemical hair relaxer, using it a minimum of four times per year.
• You have been diagnosed with uterine, ovarian, or breast cancer.

Working with a hair relaxer attorney will help you prove that your cancer diagnosis resulted from the company’s failure to provide safe products. Medical record reviews play a crucial role in establishing the case. LezDo TechMed, a medical record review company primarily serves for attorneys across the U.S.

The hair relaxer lawsuit settlement amounts have varied depending on the severity of your damages. Attorneys estimate that hair straightener lawsuit settlement amounts could range from $100,000 to $1,750,000.

Conclusion

In the hair relaxer class action lawsuit, it’s evident that the use of hair relaxer chemicals has become a notable legal concern. The hair relaxer lawsuit reveals that the quest for beauty can sometimes come at a high cost, especially when harmful chemicals are involved. The focus of the lawsuit is on the chemicals in hair relaxers that cause severe health issues. If you’re using a hair relaxer that puts your health at risk, it’s not worth it. Always prioritize your well-being over aesthetics.