Hair Relaxers Linked to Cancer- Lawsuits are Surging

Hair relaxers work by breaking down the bonds that give your hair its natural shape and texture.

According to the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, many hair relaxers employ strong chemicals to achieve a straightening effect. These include compounds like:

1. Phthalates;
2. Parabens; and
3.  Formaldehyde.

Brief exposure to these chemicals is not necessarily dangerous, but it could trigger invisible changes inside your body. Formaldehyde, for instance, is a preservative best known for its use in taxidermy; it is also a recognized carcinogen, or a substance capable of causing cancer. Phthalates and parabens, meanwhile, can subtly “disrupt” your body’s endocrine system, making it more difficult to regulate hormones like estrogen and testosterone.

In a recent study, researchers from Boston University observed that the combined effect of these chemicals can wreak havoc on your body from the inside out. Hair relaxers are now believed to cause or contribute to:

1. Uterine cancer;
2. Ovarian cancer;
3. Endometrial cancer;
4. Uterine sarcoma; and
5. Uterine fibroids.

Not all hair relaxers are inherently unsafe, but the FDA warns that almost any brand could contain dangerous concentrations of formaldehyde and other toxins. Sometimes these chemicals are not listed on ingredient lists but are instead produced through interactions with hot irons and other beauty supplies.

Hair Relaxers That Could Cause Cancer

Scientists suspect that hair relaxers can cause cancer, but they have yet to establish a definitive link between the two. However, as more evidence comes to light, a growing number of women diagnosed with uterine cancer and other serious illnesses have begun taking beauty companies to court. Some of the most common products identified in pending lawsuits include the following:

1. Affirm by Avlon;
2. African Pride by Strength of Nature and Godrej SON Holdings;
3. Crème of Nature by Revlon;
4. Dark & Lovely by L’Oreal and SoftSheen;
5. Miracles by Strength of Nature;
6. Dream Kids by Strength of Nature;
7. Mizani by L’Oreal;
8. Pink Conditioning No-Lye Relaxer by Luster;
9. Revlon Realistic by Revlon; and
10. Smooth Touch No-Lye Relaxer by Luster.

Filing A Lawsuit After A Cancer Diagnosis

Beauty companies have a duty to design products that are reasonably safe for their intended use.

Under state and federal law, companies that fail to uphold this duty could be held liable for the cost of any resulting injuries. Depending on the severity of your injury and the circumstances of your case, you could be entitled to file a product liability lawsuit for:

1. Failure to warn. Companies must warn the public about non-obvious risks associated with their products. In several lawsuits against the beauty industry, women have argued that they never had any reason to believe that a perm could cause cancer.

 

2. Breach of warranty. A breach of warranty occurs when a seller or product-maker fails to honor promises made about its product. This could happen if a manufacturer sells a product that does not work properly, exposing consumers to unexpected danger.

 

3. Defective design. A defective product is any product that is inherently unsafe or unreasonably dangerous. If a product is defective, it likely means that it was dangerous right out of the box, even when used in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

 

4. If a company is negligent, it means that it violated its duty of care to customers. Negligence can arise if a corporation knows that a product is dangerous but fails to warn the public, or if it sells goods made with toxins when safer alternatives are available.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 1-866-529-5334 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Syracuse, New York. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!