HAIR STRAIGHTENER Legal News Articles & Interviews

Santa Clara, CA  As of early March, at least 8,334 hair relaxer lawsuits are pending in a federal MDL (multidistrict litigation). Following a study that linked cancer to hair straightener products in late 2022, African American women have filed product liability lawsuits claiming certain cosmetic companies caused their uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and other serious injuries.

Chicago, IL Black women who have used hair relaxers for most of their lives have been “shocked” and “horrified” to discover that studies have linked formaldehyde—the chemical found in most hair relaxers—to cancer and fibroids. A recent Boston University report highlights an increased risk for Black women to develop uterine cancer after receiving a particular hair treatment, but studies suggesting that hair products containing a variety of chemicals are linked to asthma, hormone disruptions and even cancer go back to 2018.

Santa Clara, CA As attorneys ramp up advertising on television and social media, more Black women are becoming aware of the association between hair relaxers and uterine cancer, and that at least a dozen cosmetic companies sold their hair straighteners containing dangerous chemicals and failed to warn customers. Many women are just now learning that they have rubbed carcinogenic formaldehyde into their scalps for decades and thousands of hair relaxer lawsuits have been filed – and continue to be filed – by women of color against these companies, including L’Oreal and Revlon.

Santa Clara, CA The FDA has known since at least 2011 that hair straighteners containing formaldehyde and other toxic chemicals have made hair salon workers and their clients sick, yet it is just now considering banning hair relaxers that contain or emit the chemical by April 2024, due to a link with long-term health effects. The agency said it has been communicating with the public since 2010 about formaldehyde’s potential health concerns, and for more than a decade it has received numerous warnings, including the cosmetic industry’s own experts stating the products unsafe.

Chicago, IL As hair straightener litigation is making headlines, black girls and women who frequently use chemical hair straighteners are increasingly becoming aware of hair relaxer risks, including uterine cancer and breast cancer.

Chicago, IL As hair relaxer lawsuits mount, L’Oréal and Revlon, Strength of Nature, Namaste and numerous other hair straightener manufacturers have filed a motion to dismiss allegations that they manufactured and marketed toxic hair-relaxing products that cause cancer and other serious health issues. The motion was filed on July 5 in the Northern District of Illinois by 14 defendant groups to dismiss the complaint filed by plaintiffs in the multi-district litigation (MDL) No. 3060.

Santa Clara, CA Women diagnosed with uterine cancer, ovarian cancer and other injuries who have filed hair relaxer lawsuits in federal court--now part of the multi-district litigation--have filed a “Master Complaint”. This document includes all of the allegations linking adverse health events with regular exposure to chemicals in the hair straightener and hair relaxer products. And defendants have proposed to bifurcate discovery, which plaintiffs oppose.

Santa Clara, CA Due to so many hair straightener lawsuits filed since a study found the products linked to certain cancers, a multi-district litigation (MDL) has been established in the Northern District of Illinois to consolidate all hair relaxer lawsuits. Recent complaints also allege the hair relaxer products cause fertility problems. Lawsuits against L’Oreal and other hair relaxer manufacturers have skyrocketed, however Revlon was not officially named in lawsuits because the cosmetic giant filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy last June – one week before the NHI study was released that triggered hair relaxer litigation.

Santa Clara, CA Soon after a study published by the National Institute of Health (NIH) in October 2022 found that Black women who frequently used chemical hair straightening products were at higher risk for uterine cancer compared to women who did not report using hair relaxers, dozens of lawsuits were filed (mainly by Black women) against L'Oreal USA and several other companies (see below), claiming their chemical hair straighteners cause cancer and other health problems. Plaintiffs also claim that the companies knew, or should have known, that the use of the dangerous chemicals in the products would increase the risk of cancer; yet they marketed and sold them anyway, without providing a warning label.