New research has found a concerning link between hair straightening products and some forms of cancer, such as Uterine Cancer and Breast Cancer. Emerging information reveals that the chemicals used in these products can be harmful, especially when you are repeatedly exposed to them. Now, many individuals from across the country are looking to pursue legal action against the companies that make these products.
It is estimated that people who have used a hair relaxer or straightener more than 4 times in the last 12 months are over 150% more likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer in the future, compared to those who have never used similar products. These findings are worrisome because consumers should never have to worry about the safety of products available on the market.
Rueb Stoller Daniel is proud to have some of the most experienced and competent product liability lawyers in the country. Our law firm is keenly following the unfolding Hair Straightener Uterine Cancer Lawsuits to get a better understanding of the link between different hair straightener products and illnesses such as cancer.
If you or someone you know has cancer or any other illness that may have been caused by one of these products, please contact our law firm today to get the legal assistance you need. The more people come out with similar stories, the stronger each potential lawsuit will be, and the higher the chances the responsible companies will be forced to pay compensation to victims.
Hair Straightener Product Defendants
Any manufacturer of hair straightener products is a potential defendant in this kind of lawsuit. The chemicals used in the product will have to be correlated with the existing cancer studies to establish the proper defendants for each case.
A lawsuit has already been filed against cosmetic companies Namaste Laboratories, LLC., Dabur International, Soft Sheen/Carson Inc., Strength of Nature Global, and L’Oréal USA Products Inc., alleging that these companies failed to warn consumers that using their products increased a person’s risk of developing uterine cancer.
Excess hormones such as progesterone and estrogen have been linked to uterine cancer in the past, and many hair products can trigger the production of these hormones in a woman’s body. Currently, U.S. Federal Law requires testing for estrogen receptor activity only when it comes to drinking water contaminants and pesticides. Hair products are omitted, and this could be the loophole that cosmetic companies use.
Many women are currently planning to file hair straightener uterine cancer lawsuits after realizing that their illnesses were caused by significant, continuous, or repeated use of these products. The number of lawsuits is likely to shoot up considering there are over 65,000 cases of endometrial cancer diagnosed annually, of which 12,000 people die. Some of the companies that will be defendants in these cases are huge conglomerates, and the list of defendants may become longer if more people come out.
L’Oréal USA
L’Oréal is currently the world’s largest cosmetics company and has numerous products including hair care, perfume, make-up, sun protection, skincare, and hair color. The company claims to offer men and women from across the world the best of perfume, hair care, and cosmetics in terms of safety, efficacy, and quality.
A lawsuit was filed earlier this year by a 28-year-old woman against L’Oréal and four other companies for failing to inform consumers that their products could increase their risk of developing uterine cancer.
Strength of Nature Global
Strength of Nature is a global hair care company with a wide range of brands, for all different hair types and styles. The company is headquartered in Savannah, Georgia, and specializes in making hair conditioners, shampoos, oils, relaxers, and other related products. The company has been identified as a fast-rising world leader in the multicultural hair industry that targets Black and African American women.
Soft Sheen/Carson Inc.
Soft Sheen/Carson Inc. makes and promotes ethnic skin and hair care products for Black women. The company sells its products in the U.S., as well as in many other countries across the globe. Soft Sheen/Carson products are sold under brand names like Magic Shave, and Dark & Lovely. Its range of hair straighteners and relaxers has been popular among Black women for many years.
Dabur International
Dabur International is a global cosmetics company that has gained huge popularity in recent years. The company offers a wide range of hair care products that trade under the brand name Dabur Amla Hair Care. Some of their main products include leave-on oils, hair serums, shampoo replacement, hot oil treatments, hair creams, conditioners, shampoos, hair oils, and other related products.
Namaste Laboratories LLC.
Namaste Laboratories LLC manufactures skin and hair care products for different target audiences. The company offers remedies and products for the renewal and healing of the body, skin, and hair. Namaste Laboratories provides a wide variety of products including hair grease, shampoos, oils, relaxers, and more. Namaste Laboratories mainly sell their products in the United States.
Injuries Caused by the Use of Hair Straightener Products
Studies have revealed that many hair straightening products tend to be generally harsher than other cosmetic products because they are required to break down the structure of human hair and render it into the desired state or form. The injuries that have been associated with the above-mentioned hair products are often caused by hormonal disruptions, which have led scientists to believe that this may be how these products may increase a person’s risk of being diagnosed with cancer.
The following types of cancers are being studied to establish if they may be caused by the use of hair straightening products.
Uterine Cancer
As mentioned earlier, over 65,000 women are diagnosed with uterine cancer in the United States alone every year. This condition is typically diagnosed in the latter years of one’s life, with the mean age of patients being 61 years. The occurrence of uterine cancer among Black women is double that of white women. On top of this, Black women who have been diagnosed with uterine cancer usually have a poorer prognosis when compared to women from other racial backgrounds.
An NIH (National Institute of Health) study has revealed that women who use chemical hair relaxing or straightening products have a higher risk of developing uterine cancer. It is from these findings that a specific link was identified between uterine cancer and different hair straightening products.
It’s important to note that the 5-year survival rate for women diagnosed with uterine cancer is 82%. The 5-year survival rates for Black and White women with this illness are 63% and 84%, respectively. Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with more severe uterine cancer, which has lower survival rates. A recent report even went as far as to state that Black women die of uterine cancer at twice the rate of White women. These figures are alarming to say the least!
Some uterine cancer symptoms include:
- Clear or white vaginal discharge in postmenopausal women
- Prolonged, heavy or frequent vaginal bleeding over the age of 40
- Vaginal spotting or bleeding post-menopause to any degree
- Vaginal spotting or bleeding between periods before menopause
- Pain or cramping in the pelvic area or lower abdomen below your belly
Breast Cancer
A recent study published in Carcinogenesis found that Black women who used hair straightening products at least 7 times a year for more than 15 years had a 30% increased risk of being diagnosed with breast cancer when compared to women who used these products less often or not at all.
Scientists in the United States looked at data from Boston University’s Black Women’s Health Study, which look evaluated medical diagnoses of 50,000 Black women for more than 25 years, including variable factors that could affect their overall health. From the evaluation, over 95% of the women reported using some kind of hair straightening product, and over 2,300 were diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
Breast cancer occurs when breast cells change (mutate) and replicate out of control, forming a mass of tissue commonly known as a tumor. Like other cancers, breast cancer can encroach and target other tissues surrounding the breast.
It can also move to other parts of your body and create new tumors. With that said, any woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer as a result of using any hair straightening product may be at risk of developing other types of cancers such as lung, stomach, and ovarian cancers.
Uterine Fibrosis
Black women are more likely to be diagnosed with uterine tumors and fibrosis than any other racial/ethnic group. Not so long ago, scientists from the NIH spent 8 years studying over 46,000 women from all racial backgrounds between the ages of 35 and 74.
Scientists were searching for connections between chemical hair straighteners and different types of cancer. They found that Black women had a 45% higher chance of being diagnosed with uterine fibrosis than women from other racial/ethnic backgrounds.
There is a similar study that was done by the American Journal of Epidemiology that the connection between the use of hair-relaxing products and fibroid development. In their study, they relied on 23,000 menstruating African American women who showed 2 or even 3 times higher uterine fibrosis incidences.
In 1997, participants in a study were questioned about their hair straighter usage (type of formulation, number of burns, duration, frequency, and age of first use). From 1997 to 2009, over 23,000 women below the age of 60 were diagnosed with a form of uterine leiomyomata. The incidence of this condition was 2 or 3 times higher in African American women than in White women.
Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a reproductive disorder in which tissue that is similar to the tissue that lines the walls of the uterus is found outside the uterus. This condition mostly affects the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and the areas surrounding the pelvis.
A woman who is diagnosed with this condition has to go through a really painful and unbearable experience because the endometrial-like tissue that is outside the uterus behaves very similarly to the one inside the uterus (it breaks down and bleeds every menstrual cycle).
Many hair straighteners contain cancer-causing compounds and endocrine-disrupting substances that may increase the risk of developing reproductive illnesses such as endometriosis. Products used mostly by African American women may contain more hormonally-active compounds that can trigger or worsen such conditions.
Many studies suggest frequent use of hair straighteners and dyes can increase a woman’s risk of suffering from illnesses with hormonal origins, like endometriosis. Just like the other types of injuries mentioned above, women are unaware that the products that they use on a day-to-day basis may be causing harm to their bodies.
If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, uterine fibrosis, breast cancer or uterine cancer after frequent or continuous use of hair straightening products, we recommend that you contact our law firm as soon as possible so that we can begin investigating your case.
Hysterectomy Procedures in Younger Female Claimants
A hysterectomy is basically a specialized surgical procedure that is used to remove the uterus. Around 600,000 women undergo hysterectomies in the U.S. every year. It’s important to note that a significant number of the women who undergo these procedures do so as a course of treatment for uterine cancer.
We mentioned earlier that hair straighteners have been identified as some of the hair products that can increase your risk of developing uterine fibrosis. Hysterectomies and other treatments, like chemotherapy and immunotherapy, are recommended by doctors as effective treatments for early-stage uterine cancer.
So, on top of being an extremely distressing and painful illness to go through, uterine cancer can also cause significant damages, especially for younger female claimants in terms of loss of quality of life, mental anguish, lost wages, and medical bills.
Hair Straightener Uterine Cancer Lawsuits
When a product is put on the market – the manufacturers must ensure that it’s safe for consumers to use. However, this is not always the case. By filing a hair straightener uterine cancer lawsuit, you can take a stand against the companies that manufacture these products and seek monetary damages that can assist you to meet your medical bills.
At Rueb Stoller Daniel, we know how difficult this situation must be for you and your loved ones. Our lawyers strive to make the legal process easy and convenient for you by handling every stage of the lawsuit from filing to getting a verdict.
The typical legal process in product liability lawsuits like these includes:
- Confirming whether your case qualifies for legal action.
- Building your case by gathering evidence, such as testimony and medical records.
- Filing your hair straightener uterine cancer lawsuit within the statutes of limitations.
- Negotiating a fair settlement with the defendant(s).
- Pursuing a verdict during a trial in court.
Hair Straightener Lawsuit Verdicts and Settlements
Filing a hair straightener uterine cancer lawsuit can secure you compensation in two ways.
- Settlement: This happens when our lawyers and the defendant(s) agree on a reasonable and fair settlement for your injuries.
- Trial Verdict: If a settlement between the two parties cannot be reached, your case may go to trial, where a jury or judge will listen to the arguments and decide the final outcome.
Talk to Our Attorneys at Rueb Stoller Daniel Today!
Contact Rueb Stoller Daniel at (833) 44-DRLAW now if you used a hair straightener product in the past and later received a uterine cancer diagnosis. There may be a direct link, and you may be owed compensation by the manufacturers of these products that failed to warn consumers of the potential risks and dangers.
Remember, the more victims come out with their stories and file hair straightener lawsuits against these companies, the higher the chances of everybody winning.
