The National Institutes of Health has reported that women who use chemical hair relaxers have a higher risk of getting cancer. Many in the industry believe that the companies who make and sell hair straightening products knew the chemicals in them could pose serious health risks and yet they failed to take them off the market or even warn consumers.
Now the cancer victims are seeking the justice they deserve. Lawsuits have been filed all over the country and those claims are being consolidated into a single action so that many of the same issues do not need to be litigated repeatedly. To recover compensation for harm caused by dangerous hair relaxers, victims should contact one of our attorneys as soon as possible so that we can work to get you qualified for inclusion in the legal action.
Chemicals in Hair Relaxers Related to Several Types of Cancer
Hair straightening chemicals have been linked to a wide range of cancers. These include:
- Ovarian cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Uterine fibroids leading to premenopausal hysterectomy
- Breast cancer
Because these products are used most commonly by African American women to soften their natural curls, the impact from these dangerous products falls disproportionately on this segment of the population.
Results of Sister Study
One of the primary studies linking these products to cancer was the Sister Study conducted by a division of the National Institutes of Health known as the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. They followed thousands of women over the course of nearly 11 years and observed that women who frequently used chemical hair relaxers were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer.
In fact women who never used chemicals to straighten hair are estimated to have a 1.64% rate of developing uterine cancer while women who used these chemicals at least four times per year had a risk rate of over 4%.
Researchers believe chemicals are absorbed through the scalp. The chemicals that may cause the damage include parabens, metals, formaldehyde, and bisphenol A. Although this particular study focused on uterine cancer, previous studies from the same team noted a connection between hair straightener and increased risk of ovarian and breast cancer cases.
Mass Tort Lawsuit for Cancer Victims
If you have been diagnosed with one of the linked forms of cancer and you regularly used or formerly used chemical hair relaxers, you could be entitled to compensation through the consolidated lawsuits or other legal action. The team at Johnnie Bond Law is ready to help.
The hair relaxer claims filed in federal court have been approved as a class action lawsuit, so victims who want to be included will have a limited time to act.
Contact Johnnie Bond if You Have Been Diagnosed with Cancer that Could Be Caused by Hair Relaxers
When product manufacturers choose to ignore the dangers posed by their products, they need to be held accountable. Many women who used hazardous hair straightening products would not have done so if they had been properly warned of the risks.
If you or a loved one suffered from cancer that may have been caused by exposure to hair relaxers, contact the team at Johnnie Bond Law. We will work to ensure that you get fair treatment and the full compensation to which you are entitled.