Hair Relaxers and Health Dangers Affecting Women

Several companies are being sued by a Missouri woman who asserts that her hair relaxing products led to her uterine cancer. Her federal lawsuit was filed just a few days after the National Institutes of Health released its report from a study's findings showing frequent users of the chemical straightening products are more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer compared to others.

Usage of hair relaxers is linked to:

• Uterine Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Infertility
• Miscarriage

Lawsuit: Home hair relaxer kits are dangerous to women.

The study notes that Black women (and Latinas) may be at greater risk for this form of cancer due to their more frequent use of the products. Chemicals from the hair relaxers may be readily absorbed by the body through a person's scalp — which is sometimes incidentally burned or irritated during applications.

32-year-old Jenny Mitchell filed her lawsuit against L'Oréal, SoftSheen Carson, Strength of Nature, Dabur, and Namaste Laboratories, the makers of the chemical straighteners and hair relaxers that she says caused her uterine cancer. Mitchell says the Defendants represented that their products were safe, demonstrated by their packaging and marketing, yet the companies either omitted or concealed the risks of use.

The lawsuit goes into great detail chronicling the history and use of hair relaxers in the Black female community, along with stating the use of relaxers often starts in childhood and becomes a lifetime habit. While most ingredients in cosmetics do not require FDA approval for use, Mitchell's lawsuit notes it is a violation of the law to put an ingredient that makes the cosmetic harmful when used as intended. Though not singled out in this latest study, researchers noted that several chemicals in straighteners, such as parabens, bisphenol A, metals, and formaldehyde, could be contributors to the increase in uterine cancers.

Our attorney Brooke Cohen spoke about this lawsuit on WFAA-TV Dallas

Cohen Hirsch is a trusted law firm handling these cases, with a large African American and Latina staff who want to help others seek justice. For more information, please visit their Hair Relaxers page or fill out their questionnaire for a free consultation.

Potentially millions of African-American and Latina women could also seek legal remedies such as Mitchell. Women who have been diagnosed with uterine or ovarian cancer and used hair relaxers or straighteners are reaching out to law firms. Attorney Brooke Cohen, of Cohen Hirsch, says her law firm has begun signing up women for probable mass tort lawsuits. Additionally, Cohen's employees are particularly wanting to assist potential victims from across the country. "With our predominantly African American staff, many are taking this case personally and are also reaching out to their friends and neighbors. This appears to be a case of big corporations putting profits over safety."

Mitchell's court filing says the named companies knew, or should have known, their products increased the likelihood of cancer, and they lacked warnings to alert users to the potential dangers.

Reported deaths from uterine cancers are rising in the United States. The disparities in mortality rates among different ethnicities were chronicled in a National Cancer Institute (NCI) study earlier this year. However, in its conclusion, the study said the reasons for the trend need further investigating. The NCI also reports that approximately 3.1 percent of women will be diagnosed with uterine cancer in their lifetime, a figure including all races. The NCI estimates there have been about 66,000 new cases of uterine cancer this year and an estimated 12,550 related deaths.

If you have used hair relaxer products and would like to learn more, visit our Hair Relaxers page or contact us for a free consultation. You can also reach the Cohen Hirsch law firm at www.cohenhirsch.com or by calling 678-268-4683. There are no upfront costs and the consultation is free.