Hair Relaxer Uterine Cancer Lawsuit | September 2023 Update

Mon Jul 24, 2023 | Attorney, Matthew Dolman

Studies Reveal Alarming Occurrence of Uterine Cancer in Hair Straightener or Relaxer Consumers

Lawyer, Matt Dolman
Hair Relaxer Uterine Cancer Lawsuit Attorney, Matt Dolman

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute reveals that people who use chemicals to straighten or relax their hair have a higher risk of developing uterine cancer. These products are used most often by women of color, especially Black women, to style their naturally curly or wavy hair. As a result, these women face the greatest chance of receiving a cancer diagnosis, according to the study. Many women facing medical issues after using these products are filing hair straightener cancer lawsuits against various product manufacturers.

Relaxers and straighteners use a combination of chemicals to break down each hair’s structure and make it more pliable and soft. People who prefer a smoother style often use these products several times each year to maintain the look. Unfortunately, these products are now linked to an increased risk of uterine cancer, especially for those who have regularly used relaxers and straighteners for a long period of time.

If doctors diagnosed you or a loved one with uterine cancer and you used hair straightening or relaxing products in the past, you may be eligible to bring a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of the products you used.

To learn more about your legal rights, consult a personal injury lawyer with product liability experience and, specifically, a law firm that is handling hair relaxer lawsuits.

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Hair Relaxer Uterine Cancer Guide

Lawsuit Legal News Update on the AFFF Lawsuit

We are proud to earn the distinction of an award-winning personal injury legal team dedicated to helping clients who have been harmed by defective products. Our product liability lawyers provide over 120 years of combined experience to advocate for clients suffering serious, complicated injuries and losses. We’ll use our knowledge and skills to help you prepare and present a solid product liability case to recover the losses you deserve.

When you speak with one of our product liability lawyers, we can explain whether you can take legal action, who you can hold responsible, the damages you can request, and how the process works. Our goal is to help you recover the compensation you need to put your life back in order and hold negligent manufacturers responsible for the injuries their products cause.

How the Product Liability Lawyers at LLN Can Help You

doctor and uterus

Filing an injury claim or product liability lawsuit is a complex, detailed process. Because so many people are bringing lawsuits against the makers of hair-relaxing products, a multidistrict litigation (MDL) has been created in the Northern District of Illinois.

To join this MDL, all injured plaintiffs must prepare and file a Short Form Complaint and comply with the legal procedures required by the MDL judge. If you have questions about bringing a hair product claim, start by consulting with an experienced product liability lawyer affiliated with Lawsuit Legal News (LLN). The team at LLN can:

  • Explain the complicated legal process,
  • Help you gather and prepare the necessary evidence required to support your claim,
  • Help you decide whether to file a civil lawsuit or join the multi-district litigation (MDL) now pending in Illinois and
  • Fight for your rights to receive the compensation you deserve.

The LLN team is actively investigating hair straightener injury claims against several different manufacturers. We understand the serious impact a cancer diagnosis can have on the lives of countless consumers, and we are prepared to fight for you.

How Can You Hold Product Manufacturers Responsible for Causing Cancer?

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulates cosmetics and other products sold in our country. Manufacturers must make cosmetics safe for consumers who follow the label instructions or customary procedures for using the product. Hair care products must meet rigorous safety standards to make them safe, effective, and not dangerous to society.

Consumers who purchase hair products have the right to expect that these treatments will not harm them or cause an increased risk of cancer. Hair straightening product manufacturers are legally obligated to provide safe hair products and warn about cancer-causing ingredients. If a manufacturer fails to market a safe product or warn about its potential dangers, you can bring a claim to hold it responsible for paying compensation for the injuries its product caused. 

If a dangerous product injures you, turn to a nationally recognized and award-winning law firm that understands what you are facing. Our team of product liability and mass tort lawyers has advocated for many injured consumers and filed numerous product liability lawsuits against manufacturers that create and sell items that harm users.

If you developed uterine cancer after using hair straightening or relaxing products, don’t wait to contact the team of product liability lawyers at LLN to discuss your right to take legal action.

Recent Studies Show a Connection Between Uterine Cancer and Hair Straightener Use

woman in pain looking at uterus sonogram

The Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) published a study analyzing the relationship between hair straightening and relaxing products and the occurrence of uterine cancer among consumers. The researchers followed 33,947 participants from The Sister Study.

The Sister Study tracked almost 51,000 women from 2003 to 2009. The participants were women ages 35 to 74 who were breast cancer-free at the start of the study but had at least one sister who was diagnosed with breast cancer. Through questionnaires and self-reporting, the study analyzed thousands of women, the products they used over several years, and the incidence of cancer among the group.

The researchers involved in the JNCI study noted:

“In the Sister Study, we have previously observed a higher breast cancer incidence associated with adolescent and adult use of hair products and a higher ovarian cancer incidence associated with adult use of straighteners.” Citations omitted.

A study by the International Journal of Cancer reported possible links between products such as hair straighteners and hair dyes and the development of breast and ovarian cancers. So, although hair products have been controversial for a long time because of their chemical makeup and the harm they can cause, no one has looked for a link to uterine cancer until now.

The JNCI study examined Sister Study data provided by roughly 33,500 women who met the qualifications for the program. These women reported using several different hair products, including hair straighteners, relaxers, hair color, permanents, body waves, and other hair modifying products.

pile of hair products

Of the 33,497 participants in the JNCI study, 378 women reported a uterine cancer diagnosis. The results indicated that only 1.64 percent of women who reported they never used hair straightening products developed uterine cancer by age 70. However, 4.05 percent of women in the study who used chemical hair straighteners or relaxers developed uterine cancer by age 70.

The study also found that women who used chemical hair straighteners within the prior year had a higher risk of developing uterine cancer than those who had never used these products. In an even more frightening finding, women who reported using chemical hair straighteners four or more times in the past year suffered an even higher risk of uterine cancer.

Overall, uterine cancer is fairly rare. Although the number of women reporting a cancer diagnosis appears low, these statistics show a sizable increase in cancer risks linked to using chemical hair straighteners. Also, this study uncovers an ethnic bias against Black women because more Black women use hair straighteners than Caucasian women, usually from an early age. Unfortunately, uterine cancer is more common in Black women, and Black women are more likely to die from uterine cancer than other ethnicities.

The study participants who used hair straighteners were diagnosed with uterine cancer more than twice as often as those who never used straighteners. Considering the large number of women involved in this study, these findings may link thousands of uterine cancer cases to hair product use.

Hair Relaxer Uterine Cancer FAQs

Do You Know if You Have Used Any of the Products That Can Increase Your Risk of Uterine Cancer?

hair products

The recent JNCI study did not ask participants to identify which specific brands of chemical hair straightening or relaxer products they used or the chemicals listed on the product labels. In fact, many cosmetic companies don’t list every chemical in their products on the label. This makes it difficult for consumers to avoid possibly dangerous chemicals and products that remain on the market without warnings.

The study determined that the uterine cancer risks linked to chemical hair straightener use did not apply to people who used hair color, highlights, and perms. Despite the lack of a statistical link to uterine cancer, many other hair-processing products remain under heavy scrutiny. Past studies have found a potential link between these products and other cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer. 

For example, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) used data from the Sister Study to correlate 2,794 breast cancer diagnoses with chemical hair straightener use. That study found a 30 percent increase in the risk of developing breast cancer in women who straightened their hair every five to eight weeks or more often.

comb in womans hair

Makers of products like chemical hair straighteners owe consumers a legal duty of care. Manufacturers must provide safe products, free of unnecessary cancer risks, or at the very least, a warning about the product’s possible dangers. If a company fails to meet these standards, its customers can hold it responsible for the damages these products cause. 

Unfortunately, researchers don’t have a definitive answer about how hair straighteners may cause an increased risk of cancer. However, since studies have found a connection between these products and cancer patients, people diagnosed with cancer after using hair straightening products may seek compensation from manufacturers that create and sell dangerous items.

To prevail in a product liability lawsuit, you must prove a connection between the dangerous product you used and your medical condition. As you can imagine, this is not an easy task. An experienced product liability lawyer can link a dangerous consumer product to serious medical conditions to help meet this legal requirement. Once you prove this connection, you may recover compensation for your losses.

Are You in the High-Risk of Uterine Cancer Group?

uterus and cancer bow

Although uterine cancer is a fairly rare cancer, the National Cancer Institute recently reported that Black women are more often diagnosed with uterine cancer and more than twice as likely to die from uterine cancer than women of other races. The results of the JNCI study confirm this frightening statistic.

In the JNCI study, Black women accounted for 7.4 percent of the study’s participants, but they constituted almost 60 percent of the women who used chemical hair straighteners. Another study linked Black women who regularly colored their hair with permanent hair dye to a 60 percent increase in breast cancer diagnoses compared to only an 8 percent increase in cancer risks in Caucasian women.

Because women of color are the primary consumer demographic for chemical hair straighteners and relaxers, manufacturers target them with advertising and marketing. They also know this target market is more likely to start using their products at a younger age, so they count on consumers using these chemicals throughout their lives. 

If an irresponsible manufacturer created and marketed a dangerous product that led to your injury, turn to our compassionate team of product liability lawyers for the compensation you need to help you recover.

What Compensation Can You Recover in a Uterine Cancer Product Liability Claim?

woman getting hair rinsed

Because every case is different, the LLN team would need to gather more information from you to calculate a potential compensation award. During a free consultation with one of our product liability lawyers, we will discuss your unique situation, what you have been through, and what the future may bring. We can investigate your claim, gather evidence for you, and create a legal strategy to recover the maximum amount possible.

We understand that uterine cancer, or any other type of cancer, presents an extremely stressful, painful, emotional, and life-changing experience. A cancer diagnosis also involves extensive medical treatments and overwhelming expenses. You may miss work to attend multiple doctor visits and face significant changes in your quality of life.

Most states allow a product liability claimant to recover compensation for economic and non-economic losses, known as legal damages. Economic losses can include medical bills, lost income, and other expenses that you can document. Non-economic losses may include mental anguish, pain and suffering, loss of family relationships, and other items that are more difficult to calculate.

A dedicated, compassionate personal injury attorney can help you determine your legal damages and work with you to recover as much as possible to help you move forward.

Uterine Cancer Basics and the Harm You May Suffer

Hair Relaxer Settlement

Uterine cancer falls into two types—Type 1 endometrial cancer is more common, while Type 2 uterine sarcoma is more rare. Doctors can often cure this cancer in the early stages by performing a hysterectomy or other surgery. Other treatments, such as immunotherapy and chemotherapy, may work, depending on the type and severity of the cancer.

Uterine cancer patients experience similar symptoms, procedures, and challenges as other cancer patients, including:

  • Surgery involving risks, pain, and extended recovery.
  • Chemotherapy with strong drugs to destroy cancer cells. 
  • Radiation using targeted beams that burn and destroy cancer cells. 
  • Hormone replacement therapy, since the condition involves the reproductive system. Patients might receive hormones to replace what the body can no longer create or to block further cancer growth.
  • Medicine therapy focusing on keeping certain types of cancer cells from growing.
  • Immunotherapy to stimulate the patient’s natural immune system to fight cancer.

These treatments often make the patient nauseated and unable to eat. Certain chemicals also can reduce their ability to fight off other diseases or conditions, such as pneumonia or even the common cold. 

Uterine cancer patients may also face:

  • Skin burns from radiation, 
  • Reactions to medications, 
  • The inability to perform basic daily activities,
  • Loss of employment, 
  • Extensive and long-term medical care and rehabilitation,
  • Mental and emotional distress and 
  • Death.

Since most uterine cancer victims have surgeons remove their uterus, they can no longer bear children and will probably start menopause regardless of their age. These circumstances create another group of physical and emotional repercussions beyond the typical issues faced by cancer survivors.

You Can Afford to Partner With LLN

At Lawsuit Legal News. we strive to help those who have been injured by ruthless corporations that care more about their bottom lines than their customers’ health and safety. Often, dangerous product victims do not have the financial resources to pay their medical bills and monthly expenses, let alone legal fees. This is why we don’t charge for legal consultations and case reviews, and we don’t receive payment until you receive compensation for your losses.

With no upfront costs and no legal fees owed until you have money from the liable company, you have nothing to lose by working with us. Reach out today!

Don’t wait any longer, call 866-467-0943 or submit your case for review today!
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If you or a loved one used chemical hair straighteners or relaxers and then received a uterine cancer diagnosis, we can help. We promise to provide the highest quality services as we guide you through the complicated product liability legal process. Let us help you pursue your legal options and find peace of mind.

Call 866-467-0943 today or complete our simple online form for a free consultation.

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