The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and peer-reviewed medical journals have published numerous medical studies linking hair relaxers with different types of cancer, reproductive health disorders, and hormonal problems.
The research has identified various toxic chemicals commonly found in some new hair relaxer products that can cause these issues.
The study indicated that there is a link between hair straightening products and each incidence rate of uterine cancer in women. The study also found that women who had used chemical hair relaxer products more than 4 times a year had twice the risk of developing uterine cancer.
As a result, women across the country began exploring potential hair relaxer lawsuit against the makers of various popular brands widely marketed all over the US, including:
- TCB Naturals
- Dark and Lovely
- Olive Oil Girls
- Motions
- Optimum
- Just for Me
- Soft and beautiful
- Strength of Nature Global LLC
* L’Oreal has been removed from the list of brands named in the MDL.
Due to the failure of manufacturers to warn people about the potential of hair relaxers to cause cancer, reproductive health issues, and so on, you and your family may now be able to pursue settlement benefits. Many users have taken the opportunity to file many new hair relaxer product liability lawsuits.
Federal courts across the country are currently fielding dozens of hair relaxer cancer lawsuits, and thousands more women are expected to initiate litigation over the course of the year.
Can Chemical Hair Straightener Use Cause Uterine Cancer and other Cancers?
Yes, there is a relationship between hair relaxers and cancer. In recent times, many published studies have suggested that regular hair relaxer use can potentially cause various androgen-dependent cancers. These hair straightener products can put the risk of uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, and hormonal issues.
Researchers came up with evidence linking hair relaxer products to cancer. They warned that up to 5,000 toxic chemicals exist in many hair relaxers. Some of the chemicals linked to regularly used hair relaxer products include:
- Formaldehyde
- Cyclosiloxanes
- Di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP)
- Bisphenol A
- Parabens
- Phthalates
- Volatile organic compounds and other toxins
The FDA has laid down laws that expressly prohibit the sale or promotion of cosmetic products containing harmful or toxic substances that might hurt a consumer. But many cosmetic product brands omit toxins from their ingredient labels or mislabel their hair relaxers, denying customers vital safety information.
The omission of these toxins by hair relaxer manufacturers has resulted in numerous cases, such as hair relaxer uterine cancer lawsuits.
The Link Between Chemical Hair Straightening Products and Different Cancers
Hair relaxers contain chemicals designed to straighten curly temporarily by weakening protein bonds. One chemical ingredient in such relaxers is a class of chemicals called phthalates or plasticizers that are known as endocrine disruptors, which affect the endocrine system.
The endocrine system produces, secrets, and stores hormones all over the body, such as estrogen that are responsible for controlling growth and development, mood, metabolism, organ function, and reproduction.
.You can absorb endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in hair straightening products through cuts, sores, lesions, or burns on your scalp.
Since it plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis (the body’s internal balance), even slight variations in endocrine system function can impact hormone levels and cause several negative health outcomes.
Moreover, exposure to endocrine disruptors may lead to painful or potentially fatal medical disorders, including:
- Various kinds of cancer
- Uterine fibroids
- Endometriosis
- Abnormal puberty onset
African American women may be highly susceptible to diseases caused by endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in the used chemical hair relaxers.
According to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study, black women constituted about 60% of people who used chemical straighteners in 2022. The long-term study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) dubbed the ‘Sister Study‘ examined more than 33,000 women for over ten years to determine the potential health risks related to hair relaxer chemicals.
Before the study by the National Cancer Institute began, researchers first quizzed women who regularly used hair relaxers on the types of hair products they used the previous year before following up for close to 11 years. After they adjusted for other factors, they found that women who reported using hair straighteners over four times a year were 2½ times more likely to develop uterine cancer. Study author Che-Jung Chang, Ph.D., noted that Black women were more at risk of cancer as they tend to use hair relaxer products more frequently and from earlier ages.
The study linking chemical hair relaxers to uterine cancer revealed that the chemical ingredients used in hair relaxer creams significantly increased the risk of developing uterine cancer in women who used hair relaxers.
The frequent use of hair care products has resulted in increased hair relaxer product liability lawsuits. To seek justice, families all over the United States have filed hair relaxer cancer lawsuits against the manufacturers of numerous toxic products.
Consequently, there has been a significant rise in the weekly volume of new hair relaxer litigations.
Risk of Cancers Associated with Hair Relaxers
Long-term use of chemical hair relaxer products can increase the risk of suffering estrogen-based cancer. These cancers can be:
- Endometrial cancer
- Uterine cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Breast cancer
Chemicals You Get Exposed to When Using Chemical Hair Straightening Products
Phthalates or plasticizers emerged as the key cause of hormone-related conditions in women in the NIH study. Two types of chemicals in this class are primarily responsible for the negative health outcomes associated with repeated straightener and relaxer use.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs)
As their name suggests, EDCs disrupt endocrine system function. Usually, the endocrine system produces a variety of hormones that bind to the receptors of target cells to carry out specific functions. However, EDCs are capable of disrupting this delicate balance by either acting on the proteins in charge of controlling hormone delivery or acting directly on hormone receptors as antagonists or mimics.
EDCs can confuse the body into thinking there is an overabundance or absence of certain hormones and cause it to either over-respond to the perceived stimulus or respond when it shouldn’t. They can impact hormone levels in your body by messing with hormone production, degradation, and storage.
EDCs also have the ability to make changes to DNA and change the structure of hormone receptors on target cells. All of these actions allow EDCs to hamper normal endocrine system function and increase the risk of cancer.
Di-2-ethyl hexyl phthalate (DEHP)
DHEP is another chemical that has been linked to negative health effects in women. It is a highly toxic synthetic chemical in the phthalate family and was the most used phthalate derivative in the 20th century. It is also the most common phthalate in hair relaxers.
Once it enters the body, DHEP breaks down into several toxic metabolites that cause issues such as reproductive dysfunction, endometriosis, and various types of cancer.
How Much Can You Expect from Hair Relaxer Settlements and Verdicts?
You can receive hair relaxer compensation through a trial verdict or settlement for a chemical hair straightener lawsuit. While the courts award a judgment, the defendant(s) and your legal team can agree to a specific amount of monetary compensation as damages in your lawsuit.
When determining the money you can receive from your hair relaxer case, several factors come into play. These include:
- The severity of injuries suffered due to the used chemical hair relaxer
- The estimated total cost of medical expenses
- Whether you will experience ongoing medical issues
- Other punitive or economic damages caused by hair straightening products’ chemicals
Estimated Hair Relaxer Case Settlements for Endometriosis
Hair relaxer lawsuits involving damages for endometriosis are on the lower end of the compensation spectrum for two reasons.
First, research shows frequent hair relaxer use is less likely to cause endometriosis than uterine fibroids. Since proving this case is quite tricky, the potential amount you’ll receive is likely lower.
Secondly, endometriosis isn’t as severe as uterine fibroids, so it’ll naturally receive a lower settlement. While endometriosis can be severely painful and adversely affect reproduction, it’s not a life-threatening disease like cancer.
Our law firm estimates that the average settlement amount for hair relaxer cases involving endometriosis is between $110,000 and $300,000.
Estimated Hair Relaxer Case Settlements for Uterine Fibroids
Hair relaxer lawsuits in which the main injury is uterine fibroids are the second least expensive. Uterine fibroids pose no risk to your life but may cause severe pain and suffering. More often than not, the only effective treatment is surgery.
There’s no overwhelming evidence that use of hair relaxers may cause you to develop uterine fibroids. On the other hand, the fact that uterine fibroids can cause excruciating pain raises its potential settlement amount.
Our law firm estimates that the average settlement amount for hair relaxer cases involving endometriosis is between $150,000 and $500,000.
Estimated Hair Relaxer Case Settlements for Ovarian Cancer
There’s strong evidence connecting the toxic chemicals in hair relaxer products to ovarian cancer. However, hair relaxers are more likely to cause uterine fibroids than ovarian cancer.
For this reason, hair relaxer lawsuits involving ovarian cancer are likely to receive lower settlement amounts than those involving uterine fibroids. But regarding the severity of the injury, ovarian cancer is undoubtedly more severe. Compared to uterine fibroids, far fewer women are likely to survive ovarian cancer within five years.
For these reasons, our law firm estimates that the average uterine cancer settlement amount for hair relaxer cases involving people diagnosed with uterine cancer is between $400,000 and $750,000.
Estimated Hair Relaxer Case Settlements for Breast Cancer
Chemical hair relaxer cases involving breast cancer are often something of a gamble. There’s a considerable amount of evidence out there linking increasing breast cancer cases with chemicals in hair relaxers. But since breast cancer is so common, it can be difficult to prove its link to the chemicals present in hair relaxers.
In successful breast cancer settlements involving hair relaxers, the amounts can range anywhere from $180,000-$750,000, depending on how the question of cause is determined. In this case, however, that remains a big “if.”
Potential Global Settlement in Hair Straightener Lawsuits
Mass action lawsuits involving product liability cases, like hair relaxer cases, are usually resolved in huge settlement payouts known as “global settlements.” When it comes to global settlements, all of the different defendants agree to pool financial resources into a massive settlement kitty. All plaintiffs in the lawsuit will then receive settlement payouts from this settlement fund.
In each new hair relaxer class action lawsuit, the settlement payout each plaintiff gets is typically worked out with a complex formula that places plaintiffs in settlement tiers depending on the weight of their claims. Of course, top-tier-ranked plaintiffs receive the highest amounts, with bottom-tier-ranked plaintiffs getting the lowest payouts.
In cases where a global settlement is used to resolve hair relaxer lawsuits, the settlement tiers are usually determined by the type of injury one suffers. The most severe injuries are uterine and ovarian cancer, placing them at the top tiers. These injuries have the most overwhelming evidence of causation.
In addition, each plaintiff in a global settlement can choose whether to be part of the settlement or continue to seek their individual lawsuit settlement verdict from a jury.
Updates & Breaking News: Product Liability Lawsuit
The majority of hair cancer relaxer lawsuits were filed starting from October and November 2022. These early plaintiffs also submitted a motion asking the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) to consolidate all hair relaxer lawsuits into a new hair relaxer class action MDL.
Here is a timeline of the events that followed after plaintiffs filed the initial lawsuits;
November 26, 2022 – Plaintiffs filed a new type of class action hair straightener lawsuit that would compel cosmetic companies that manufacture chemical hair relaxers to first cover medical monitoring costs for women who were at risk of developing health problems after repeatedly using chemical hair straightening products.
December 2022 – Several more plaintiffs filed lawsuits against hair relaxer companies, and the defendants filed a statement with the JPML stating that they were strongly opposed to the creation of a new hair relaxer MDL
January 2023 – The JPML held a hearing to determine whether there was any merit to consolidating all lawsuits while the number of lawsuits increased steadily across the country
February 5, 2023 – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decides to add chemicals used in hair relaxer products, such as DINP and other phthalates to its list of toxic and harmful chemicals
February 6, 2023 – A JPML Panel approves the creation of a hair straightener MDL and assigns the class action litigation to Judge Mary Rowland of the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago
March 1, 2023 – Judge Mary Rowland holds the first status conference with all the parties involved in the hair relaxer MDL. She indicates that the lawsuit will have a single steering committee and that she will name the lead and liaison counsel.
Brief Overview of Hair Relaxer Class Action Lawsuit
An hair relaxer lawsuit filed by Jenny Mitchell , a 32-year-old Chicago resident, was one of the first hair relaxer lawsuits in late October 2022. Her lawsuit against L’Oreal claimed that the firm’s products repeatedly exposed her to toxic “phthalates and other endocrine disrupting chemicals” and led to her endocrine cancer diagnosis. More than ten plaintiffs in four federal district courts followed suit and filed hair relaxer cancer lawsuits in November.
A suit that would require cosmetic companies to pay for a medical monitoring program for their at-risk customers was also filed in federal court in Michigan. In late November, Keaira Gamble filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, claiming that continued exposure to chemicals in hair relaxers led to her developing uterine fibroids. It was the first lawsuit tying hair relaxers to diseases other than uterine cancer.
There were three lawsuit file indicating that the chemicals in hair relaxer products caused uterine cancer and two suits alleging that they caused uterine fibroids were filed in December. On January 4, a plaintiff who had been employed in a hair salon for a while filed a lawsuit against four cosmetic companies, alleging that their hair relaxers caused uterine cancer. The product liability lawsuit was filed after the employee was later diagnosed with uterine cancer.
Over the course of January 2023, 23 hair relaxer lawsuits have been filed in several federal courts. Plaintiffs also filed over 30 more new hair relaxer lawsuits in February, with most of the suits being in the Northern District of Illinois, where the hair relaxer MDL will be prosecuted.
Importance of Taking Legal Action for Potential Harm Caused by Chemicals in Hair Relaxer Products
There is solid scientific evidence linking the chemicals in hair relaxer products with a number of medical conditions in women. If you used chemical hair straightener products repeatedly and have been diagnosed with uterine cancer, endocrine cancer, or any other hormone-driven health condition, you should strongly consider filing a lawsuit.
The product manufacturer should be held liable for all the injury and subsequent medical costs arising from their products. You will be entitled to adequate compensation based on the strength of your suit and the severity of your injuries. Ideally, you are entitled to enough compensation to cover your past, current, and future medical costs, prescription medication, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Taking legal action against cosmetic firms which have manufactured and sold dangerous chemical hair relaxers without disclosing the risk will ensure that they are held accountable for their actions. More importantly, it will give you a chance to secure compensation for all the losses you suffered as a result of using such products.
Prevalence of Cases and Lawsuits Related to Chemical Hair Relaxer Products
Millions of women across the country, primarily Black women, have regularly used chemical hair relaxer products and hair straightening products for decades. Data from the U.S. Census Data and Simmons National Consumer Survey shows that 10.38 million used home hair relaxers in 2020 alone. As such, the number of possible plaintiffs who could sue cosmetic companies for damages is immense.
Furthermore, there are over 600,000 uterine cancer survivors currently residing in the U.S. Even if around 10% of them have used hair relaxers repeatedly, cases involving hair relaxers and uterine cancers will increase significantly. Before the JPML created a new hair relaxer MDL, there were nearly 60 hair relaxer cancer cases pending across 19 different federal districts.
Given the pool of women who have likely used hair relaxers in the past (more than 80% of Black women), we can expect the number of suits under this new MDL to surge to the thousands over the next couple of months.
Identifying a Valid Lawsuit
The first step to successfully filing a lawsuit is to make sure you actually have a valid claim. Generally, anyone who has used chemical hair relaxers/straighteners for a few years and has been diagnosed with female reproductive cancers such as ovarian and uterine cancer can file for damages.
How to File a Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit
If you used hair relaxer products as instructed on the packaging at least four times in a year and later received a female reproductive cancer diagnosis, you may be eligible for compensation from the firm that manufactured the products.
You may also have a valid claim if you do not have a type of female reproductive cancer, as the research indicated that hair relaxers could also contribute to the development of mental health disorders, fibroids, and early puberty onset. A licensed lawyer can help you figure out if you meet the criteria for filing a lawsuit.
They will likely ask you about your experiences with the products you used and review your medical records to prove your diagnosis. Once your attorney has determined that you have a history of using chemical hair relaxers and have been diagnosed with a type of female productive cancer, they will file a suit on your behalf.
At our law firm, we stop at nothing to ensure our clients, who had previously used chemical hair relaxer products get the smoothest possible legal process. If you want to file a hair relaxer lawsuit or a product liability lawsuit, talk to us. We handle each new hair relaxer lawsuit with the seriousness it deserves. Our hair relaxer lawyers can handle the entire hair relaxer litigation process as you focus on your recovery.
In general, the legal process includes the following steps:
- Getting in touch with our law firm: Before you file a lawsuit, we’ll give you a free, no-obligation legal consultation to find out if you’ve got a case.
- Gathering evidence: Evidence for your hair relaxer case includes identifying the brands used, the length of time you used a chemical hair relaxer, and medical records.
- Filling your hair relaxer claim: Our hair relaxer lawyers will file your lawsuit within statutes of limitations or any applicable deadlines.
- Negotiating a settlement: Our legal team will arrange a suitable hair relaxer settlement with the manufacturer defendant on your behalf.
- Taking your hair relaxer lawsuit to trial: If we don’t reach a suitable hair relaxer settlement payout with the defendant, we’re ready to pursue a verdict in court.
By letting us file your hair relaxer cancer cases, you can stand up to the manufacturers that made harmful hair products and pursue compensation to settle your medical bills. Contact us today to get your lawsuit started.
Evidence Needed to Support Your Claim
The key piece of evidence you need to support your claim is medical records proving that you were diagnosed with conditions such as uterine cancer, uterine fibroids, or ovarian cancer. You could also include financial records detailing your lost income and the total amount you spent on medical treatment.
Statute of Limitations for a Case Filed in Federal Court
The statute of limitations is a law that gives plaintiffs a maximum amount of time to initiate legal proceedings. This means that you will have a limited amount of time to file a hair relaxer cancer lawsuit. Once this period elapses, you will not be able to file for damages even if you meet all the criteria for a hair relaxer lawsuit.
Every state has its own separate statute of limitations for product liability lawsuits. As such, it is crucial that you pursue a hair relaxer cancer suit at the earliest opportunity. An experienced product liability attorney can help you figure out the statute of limitations in your state and help you file a suit before it elapses.
Finding a Personal Hair Relaxer Lawyer
Personal injury attorneys typically provide legal services to individuals who claim they have been physically or physiologically injured by the negligence of another person, government agency, entity, or company. Choosing the right personal injury lawyer is crucial if you wish to increase your chances of success.
Ideally, you will want an attorney with experience in product liability claims, personal injury law, and mass tort. The latter refers to cases that involve injury to several people. An hair relaxer lawyer with this skill set will be well-equipped to handle your hair endometrial cancer claim.
Importance of Hiring an Experienced Lawyer for any Lawsuit Filed
Law is quite a complicated field. It takes seven years of post-high school education to achieve a law degree, and even then, laws are constantly changing and evolving. Legislators at federal, state, and local levels are regularly amending and updating current laws. Furthermore, decisions by some judges become legal precedents for subsequent rulings in similar cases.
As such, you should consider a personal injury attorney who has been working on several cases for several years and has been able to grow and adapt to these changes. An experienced lawyer is intimately familiar with the law, knows the ins and outs of the legal system, and can use the tricks they have learned while defending similar disputes to advance your case.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Personal Injury Lawyer
Once you have decided to file suit, your first move should be to hire a personal injury lawyer. Here are the key factors you should consider when you choose a personal injury lawyer;
1. Experience and Specialization
Consider choosing a lawyer who has experience with product liability lawsuits, mass tort, and personal injury. Such an attorney will be familiar with the laws surrounding product liability and personal injury.
2. Location
While the internet allows you to hire attorneys from anywhere across the country, choosing one who lives close by is always the better choice. They know what’s going on in local courts and are well-acquainted with local laws. Furthermore, their close proximity makes it easier for you to meet them in person to discuss your case and reduces your transport costs.
3. Track record
Before settling deciding on a personal injury attorney, make sure you check their track record to see how they handled previous cases. You will want an attorney who has a record of successfully handling similar cases to increase your own chances of winning.
4. Customer Reviews
Another factor to consider while choosing an attorney is previous customer experiences. Such reviews will allow you to gain deeper insight into how an attorney treated and communicated with their prior clients. You can check online for customer reviews and ratings of attorneys in your area.
5. Cost
You should always be sure to discuss fees with an attorney prior to retaining them to represent you. Typically, in injury cases, attorneys work on contingency, which means they only get paid if their clients recover compensation. If an attorney is asking you for money upfront in a matter, you should be very suspicious.
How Our Law Firm Can Help You Pursue a Product Liability Claim Against Hair Relaxer Brands
If you’ve developed uterine cancer from the use of chemical hair relaxers made by a company, you can bring a product liability claim against the manufacturer. Your hair relaxer uterine fibroids claim will hold manufacturers liable to account for their negligence concerning the safety of their products.
Our personal injury law office will guide you through the lawsuit-filling process and adequately protect your rights. With our experienced personal injury attorneys, you can file a strong claim and receive just compensation from the manufacturer for damages associated with your hair relaxer-induced disease.
The Legal Process for Filing a Hair Relaxer Lawsuit
The process of filing a lawsuit is relatively straightforward. An attorney will review your claim to see if it is valid and then file a suit at a local court once they have determined it has merit.
Initial Consultation with a Personal Injury Lawyer
The first consultation with a personal injury lawyer will take place before you formally contract them as your attorney. It is meant to give you and the attorney time to decide if you would like to work together. During this meeting, you will tell the attorney about your chemical hair relaxer use and any health issues you believe were caused by these products.
You can also ask the lawyer questions about your claim, their experience with similar cases, and how they handle specific issues in personal injury and product liability claims. By the end of this first consultation, you should know whether your claim is valid, if you need an attorney, whether they could help you, and roughly how much it would cost to hire a lawyer.
An attorney-client relationship will be officially formed if you sign an engagement agreement with the attorney.
Filing the Lawsuit and Serving the Defendants
Your attorney will begin handling your legal matters at this point. They will start by filing a complaint and serving it to the defendants. This complaint will provide an exhaustive version of the events that led to you filing the claim and describe how repeated exposure to toxic chemicals in hair relaxers and straighteners contributed to your health issues.
Your lawyer will liaise with an officer or the court to ensure the complaint is served to the defendant and they receive a summons. This summons will include a basic overview of the case and provide the defendant with a deadline to respond to the claim. If the defendant fails to respond within the provided time, the respective court will enter a default judgment.
A response from the defendants will likely include admission or denial of the plaintiff’s claims or counterarguments to the claim.
Discovery Process, Including Gathering and Exchanging Evidence
After your attorney files a suit and serves the defendant, your case will enter into the discovery stage. This is the time when both parties review the case to understand their legal standing better and come up with strategies for the case. It may involve requests for depositions, requests for production, and requests for admissions.
Your attorney will go about collecting evidence that will prove your claim has merit during the discovery phase. This will likely include your medical and financial records as well as scientific literature outlining the connection between chemical hair relaxers and female reproductive cancers like uterine cancer.
The defendant may also file a motion to dismiss your claim, and it will be up to you and your attorney to oppose it.
Settlement Negotiations or Trial
A majority of personal injury lawsuits end during the negotiation stage. Lawyers are skilled negotiators, and they usually try to negotiate solutions that satisfy both parties without going to court. This process usually begins with your attorney sending a demand letter with a relatively high settlement claim.
The defendant will most likely send a response with a lower counteroffer claiming that your lawsuit is lacking in some way. Your attorney will then negotiate with the defendant’s lawyer for a hair relaxer settlement that is enough to cover all the physical and financial damages you suffered as a result of using chemical hair relaxers.
The case will head to trial if negotiations don’t result in a favorable settlement. Such a trial will start with each side giving opening statements followed by the presentation of evidence. Once this is done and each party has made closing statements, the jury will deliberate and provide a verdict.
Potential Compensation in a Lawsuit
The average hair relaxer cancer settlement per person ranges from $100,000 to $1,500,000 depending on the severity of the injuries and the strength of their cases. You may also be entitled to several types of compensation if you meet the criteria for a lawsuit.
Types of Damages That Can Be Awarded
Personal injury damages are divided into compensatory and punitive damages. Compensatory damages are meant to compensate plaintiffs for their injuries, while punitive damages are designed to punish defendants if the court finds their actions to be particularly negligent. Here are some of the damages you may be able to secure:
- Treatment costs – This includes ambulance costs, surgery, medications, travel expenses, physical therapy, doctor visits, and home care costs
- Lost wages and lost earning capacity – This damage will cover all the past and future wages lost due to your health problems and their subsequent treatment
- Pain and suffering – You will also be compensated for the emotional trauma and physical suffering you endured due to repeated chemical hair relaxer use
- Loss of enjoyment of life – You may be entitled to this damage if your health issues have prevented you from taking part in activities that previously made you happy such as engaging with your children or playing an instrument
- Lower quality of life – You may receive this damage if your health issues prevent you from enjoying life as you did before your diagnosis such as suffering intense pain due to endometriosis
- Punitive damages – If the court determines that the defendant willfully engaged in wanton misconduct, you may also receive punitive damages
Factors That Determine Compensation
Several factors will determine whether you get compensation and how much your final settlement will be. The most important factor will be the severity of your health problems and the overall impact they have had on your life. For instance, a plaintiff with uterine or ovarian cancer will be higher on the settlement tier scale compared to a plaintiff with endometriosis.
The amount of compensation you receive will also depend on your lost wages, lost future earning potential, the level of your pain and suffering, and the effect on your quality of life. The judge and jury will consider all of these factors to determine the amount of compensation you are entitled to.
Examples of Previous Lawsuit Settlements and Verdicts
At the time of writing, there were no prior examples of class action lawsuits that had reached a settlement despite new evidence stating these hair care products may cause cancer.
Exploring Alternative Hair Products and Safety Measures
In the wake of new research connecting hair relaxers to several negative health outcomes, it is important that we find safe alternatives. Using chemical hair relaxers just four times in one year can cause your risk of uterine cancer to more than double. Consider turning to alternatives that can produce the same effects without increasing your risk of developing several medical issues.
Safer Alternatives to Hair Relaxer Creams
Several options are available for women to make their hair straight without using chemical relaxer creams. Here are some alternatives to consider;
Keratin Treatments
Keratin treatments are a great alternative to chemical hair relaxers as they reduce frizz and make hair softer and shiny without damaging its structure. They are suitable for people who would like to straighten their hair for a long time and are only done at salons. Note that keratin treatment is not advised for pregnant women and can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Additionally, confirm that the keratin formula does not contain formaldehyde before you begin the treatment.
Oil treatments
Oil treatments are much more pocket friendly than keratin treatments. They also prevent hair damage, lock in moisture, and promote healthy hair growth. Due to the wide accessibility of oils such as avocado, coconut, and olive oil, you don’t have to go to a salon to do an oil treatment. However, the oil may weigh down your hair.
Silicon Creams
You do not need special tools or even heat to use silicon creams. By acting as a molding agent, the silicon in these creams will keep your hair in place until you shampoo it out. It can also seal in moisture, keep your hair hydrated, and even protect your hair from heat damage. The drawback to this alternative is that it is quite temporary, and the silicon cream can be difficult to wash out fully.
Heat Styling
On the other hand, you could go old school and use a flat iron to straighten your curly hair. Flat irons can cost anything from $25-$200 and are relatively easy to use. The process can take around an hour or more, depending on the length and volume of your hair. However, using a flat iron to relax your hair can damage your hair over time.
Tips for Using Hair Products Safely
As recent research has revealed, a lot of the hair products on the shelves aren’t entirely safe. Some cosmetic firms consistently failed to disclose that their hair relaxers contain toxic chemicals such as phthalates that can be immensely harmful to your health. So, for starters, consider staying away from hair products manufactured by any of the firms named in the hair straightener MDL.
Next, avoid hair products that contain the following chemicals;
- Phthalates
- Parabens
- Ethanolamines
- Artificial fragrances
- Butylated compounds such as BHT and BHA
- Octinoxate
- Diethylhexyl adipate
- Coumarin
- Petrolatum
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives
- Quaternary ammonium compounds
- Polyethylene glycol (PEG) compounds
Hair products that use natural ingredients should be at the top of your list. They tend to contain natural ingredients like coconut oil, aloe vera, argan oil, and essential oils and are capable of delivering their particular functions without damaging hair or putting your health at risk.
Importance of Staying Informed About Product Safety and Regulations
History has consistently shown that some consumer goods companies will manufacture and sell products with potential health risks. Even if such firms list potentially dangerous chemicals in their ingredients, most consumers will not decipher that these chemicals may harm their health.
Acquainting yourself with product safety product regulations will give you the knowledge you need to filter out products that contain potentially harmful chemical compounds. You can start by reading up on the safety regulations of products you use regularly. Look through the ingredients in these products and check online to see if any of them have been flagged as dangerous.
This could allow you to spot products that could harm your health and save you a lot of stress, time, and money down the road.
Get Help from Our Experienced Hair Relaxer Attorneys
Have you been diagnosed with uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, or uterine endometriosis? You may have a valid legal claim if you used hair relaxers and straighteners for years prior to your diagnosis. These products have been found to contain chemical compounds that disrupt hormone activity in the body and cause negative health effects. It is important that we hold the companies behind these dangerous products responsible for their actions.
If you’ve used hair relaxers and now suffer from ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, or endometriosis, you can seek financial compensation from liable manufacturers. We know how overwhelming it can be to suffer from one of these disorders that come after you’ve used chemical hair straightening products, so we’ll make it as easy as possible for you to get justice.
Discover what our experienced hair relaxer lawyers at The The Louthian Firm Accident & Injury Lawyers can do for you. Complete our secure contact form or call us today at 803-592-6231.
