Hair Relaxer Chemicals Caused Uterine Cancer, Lawsuit Alleges

Plaintiff says she, like other African American women, began exposing herself to hair relaxer chemicals at a young age, unaware of the risks of uterine cancer.

A Florida woman has filed a product liability lawsuit, alleging that she developed uterine cancer from hair relaxer chemicals in perm products like Soft & Beautiful, TCB Naturals, Optimum, Dark & Lovely and Organic Root Stimulator Olive Oil Relaxer.

The complaint (PDF) was brought earlier this month by Jemima Douge, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, naming several different manufacturers of popular hair relaxers as defendants, including L’Oreal, Strength of Nature Global, LLC, Soft Sheen Carson, Dabur International and Namaste Laboratories.

Douge indicates she has been exposed to the hair relaxer chemicals since she was about 16, and continued to apply the products to her scalp on a regular basis from about 1992 to 1994, and then again from 2000 until about 2021. As a result of exposure to various chemicals used to straighten and relaxer her hair, Douge indicates she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2019, and had to undergo a full hysterectomy as a result.

Lawsuits Over Failure to Disclose Hair Relaxer Chemicals

The case joins a growing number of hair relaxer lawsuits filed in recent months, each involving similar allegations that toxic endocrine disrupting chemicals in widely marketed products increase the risk of uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, ovarian cancer and other injuries.

The lawsuit accuses the manufacturers of targeting African American women, encouraging them to begin use the hair relaxer chemicals as children and teenagers, increasing their risk of adverse health effects due to long-term exposure.

“In some studies, up to 90% of black and brown women have used hair relaxants and straighteners, which is more commonplace for these women than for any other race,” the lawsuit states. “Relaxer habits usually begin in formative childhood years, and adolescence is likely a period of enhanced susceptibility to debilitating conditions resulting from exposure to these chemicals.”

Hair Relaxer Uterine Cancer Risks

The litigation emerged after a number of studies published in recent years highlighted risk of uterine cancer from hair relaxer chemicals, including known cancer-causing agents like phthalates, parabens, formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds.

In October 2022, researchers published findings in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which warned that ingredients used in chemical hair relaxers may cause uterine cancer, finding that the rate of uterine cancer was nearly three times greater among women who frequently used hair relaxer chemicals, compared to women who never used the products.

Douge indicates that rather than disclosing known risk information to women, manufacturers placed their desire for profits above consumer safety, by continuing to aggressively marketing their chemical relaxers and perms, specifically targeted young Black children, creating generations of devoted customers who did not know they were exposing themselves to an increased risk of cancer.

“Importantly, the [hair relaxers] are inessential cosmetic products that do not treat or cure any serious disease. Further, safer alternatives, including fragrency free products, have been readily available for decades,” Douge states in the complaint. “Defendants have known, or should have known, that [hair relaxer chemicals] are unreasonably dangerous but have continued to design, manufacture, sell, distribute, market, promote, and supply the Products so as to maximize sales and profits at the expense of public health and safety in conscious disregard of the foreseeable harm to the consuming public, including Plaintiff.”

The lawsuits point to a large body of medical research which highlights the adverse side effects endocrine disrupting chemicals in hair relaxer can have on the body. The hair relaxer chemicals are known to interfere with the normal activity of the endocrine system, and have been linked to the development of various cancers, endometriosis, abnormalities in reproductive organs, and other injuries.

February 2023 Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Update

As more women learn that their long-term exposure to hair relaxer chemicals may be the cause of uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine fibroids and other injuries, it is expected that thousands of women will file lawsuits throughout the federal court system this year.

Since each of the claims involve similar questions of fact and law, the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) has decided to centralize all hair relaxer and perm cancer lawsuits in the Northern District of Illinois, where U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland will preside over coordinated discovery and pretrial proceedings throughout 2013.

It is expected that the Court will establish a “bellwether” process where a group of representative claims will be prepared for early trial dates to help gauge how juries will respond to certain evidence and testimony that will be repeated throughout the litigation. However, if the parties fail to negotiate hair relaxer settlements to resolve claims, each case may later be remanded back to the U.S. District Court where it was originally filed for a separate trial date in the future.