The manufacture and sale of hair relaxing and straightening products in this country spans well over a century and is recognized as a multi-billion dollar business dominated by corporate giants. The users of these products are predominately African-American women. Most brands of hair relaxers contain toxic, dangerous “endocrine disrupting chemicals” including sodium hydroxide or caustic soda (commonly known as lye), as well as phthalates.

In recent months, hair relaxer litigation has been the subject of nationwide advertising and the topic of several morning television shows as well as predominant news outlets. The buzz continues to grow as word spreads about and amongst the community of African-American women who used hair relaxers having no reason to imagine that their use was increasing their risk of developing catastrophic injuries, including cancer.

The nationwide buzz regarding the dangers of hair relaxers is born from the decades long intense research performed by the scientific community which has revealed a link between long-term use of several brands of hair relaxers with an increased risk of cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids and pre-term deliveries, conditions whose treatment typically includes a hysterectomy. The phrase “long-term use” is defined as a minimum of 5 years of regular use (several times per year). A recent 2022 study by the US National Institutes of Health found that women who used such products several times a year for 4 years were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer.

Several hundred lawsuits have been filed in the federal courts of several States. Target defendants include the following brands: L’Oreal, Revlon, Dark & Lovely, Soft & Beautiful, Optimum, Design Essentials, and Just for Me. The list of potentially responsible entities continues to grow. Despite the significant number of legal actions pending against them, as well as additional and ongoing research confirming the link between the chemicals used in their products and severe illness, not one of those corporations has responded other than to deny all liability.

If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with uterine cancer, endometriosis, or uterine fibroids, and used hair relaxers, you may be entitled to significant financial compensation. Contact our office today to learn about our firm and how we may be able to help you hold the corporations who manufactured dangerous hair relaxing products fully accountable for putting their profits over your health and safety.

Do you have a potential lawsuit against a hair relaxer defendant?

Pearce Lewis LLP is investigating hair relaxing product claims based upon the following criteria:

1. A Plaintiff must be able to identify the brand or brands of hair relaxer used and when that use began, even generally.
2. A Plaintiff must be able to verbally confirm continuous use of certain brands of hair relaxer for a minimum of 5 years prior to diagnosis (understanding that often times many years span between product use and the presence or diagnosis of illness).
3. A Plaintiff must have received a diagnosis in 2005 or later with one of the following: Uterine Cancer, Ovarian Cancer (Serous Ovarian Cancer, Endometrioid Ovarian Cancer, Mucinous Ovarian, Clear Cell Ovarian Cancer, Undifferentiated Ovarian, unsure of type), or Endometrial Cancer.
4. A Plaintiff must be under 60 years of age at the time of diagnosis.