According to a large study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), many chemical hair straightener products have been linked to a higher risk of uterine cancer. Researchers are especially concerned for Black women, who statistically use these products the most often among all consumer demographics.
NIH researchers studied data that involved more than 33,000 women across the United States between the ages of 35 and 74, and who used various treatments on their hair for at least 10 years. About 20,000 of those women self-identified as Black, showing the prevalence of such product use in this demographic. 378 women in the study were diagnosed with uterine cancer. Women who didn’t use chemical hair straighteners had a 1.64% risk of developing uterine cancer, but women who did use chemical hair straighteners had a 4.05% risk, which means they were more than twice as likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer before the age of 70.
Uterine cancer is considered a relatively rare form of cancer. For there be such a large percentage of people in the study to receive a uterine cancer diagnosis is unusual. Paired with the large increase in risk among women who used chemical hair straighteners, this data suggests that there is a direct association between these products and uterine cancer. The risk appears to increase when chemical hair straighteners are applied directly to the scalp and are not washed away for hours.
The NIH report pointed out that many chemical hair straighteners use numerous chemicals that are considered possible carcinogens. Parabens, formaldehyde, and bisphenol A are only a few such chemicals used in these products. There have already been links to the use of these products and breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
What Happens Now?
The results of the NIH study certainly indicate that chemical hair straighteners can cause uterine cancer.
People who have used chemical hair straighteners and were later diagnosed with uterine cancer do not need to wait for another study to take legal action, though. Product liability law could allow for claims to be filed against hair product companies. If enough people come forward with similar cases, then a consumer class action lawsuit could form.
For more information about this developing story, be sure to visit our blog frequently for important updates. You can also call the nationwide class action attorneys of Golomb Legal. if you think you have a claim or lawsuit to file after using unsafe chemical hair straightener products for years. We would be honored to use our decades of legal experience to build your case and potentially push for a class action lawsuit. Call (215) 278-4449.
Continued Reading
- “Hair straightening chemicals associated with higher uterine cancer risk” (NIH)
- “Use of Straighteners and Other Hair Products and Incident Uterine Cancer” (Journal of the National Cancer Institute)
- “Chemical hair-straightening linked to uterine cancer, study warns Black women” (The Washington Post)
- “Hair chemicals may increase breast cancer risk: A meta-analysis of 210,319 subjects from 14 studies” (National Library of Medicine)