Hair Relaxer Uterine Cancer Risk

Women who used popular Hair Straightening Products may have been placed at a higher risk for Uterine Cancer. Did you or a loved one develop uterine cancer after using L’Oreal or other hair straighteners? Shamis Gentile is currently investigating these matters. If you think you have a case, get in touch today for a free consultation. You may be eligible for compensation.

Toxic Cancer-causing Chemicals in Hair Straighteners

Shamis Gentile is investigating claims of increased risk of uterine cancer in women who used hair straightening products from L’Oreal, SoftSheen Carson, Dark and Lovely, and other manufacturers. Hair straightener treatments may contain toxic chemicals which increase the risk for uterine cancer, particularly in Black or Hispanic women who may use the products more often.

Hair straighteners contain formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals, phthalates, parabens, and bisphenol-A along with other toxins which may be carcinogenic. Other studies have linked toxic chemicals to cancer in females, but this is the first study that has confirmed a link to uterine cancer.

Study Shows Black and Hispanic Women May be at Higher Risk 

A recent study has shown that toxic chemicals in hair straighteners may increase the risk of uterine cancer. This risk may be more pronounced in Black and Hispanic women who are more likely to have received hair straightening treatments than other ethnic groups.

Black women may be at higher risk for hair straightener-related uterine cancer than other ethnic groups. This appears to be largely due to the increased use of hair straightening treatments in Black and Hispanic women. Many Black women also begin using hair treatments earlier in childhood and teen years and may continue to use them regularly throughout adulthood.

In addition to the chemicals in hair straightener products, other hair treatments including use of heated appliances like hair dryers and flat irons may also release more of the chemicals to be absorbed through the scalp and skin. The absorption may also be increased with longer hair exposure or when the straighteners cause burns and lesions on the scalp. The effects of the toxic chemicals may also be compounded by use of other cancer-causing hair and body products.

Twice as likely to develop cancer

Uterine cancer is the most common form of female reproductive system cancer and rising in the U.S., especially among Black women, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The American Cancer Society estimates there will be about 66,000 new cases of uterine cancer diagnosed this year in the United States, less than a quarter of the number of 297,790 new cases of invasive breast cancer, and more than three times the 19,710 cases of ovarian cancer.

The NIH study of more than 33,000 women found that those who reported using hair straightening products more than four times in the previous year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer as those who did not. A total of 378 women in the study developed uterine cancer. Black women used the products more frequently than others, the study found.

U.S. FDA plans to ban formaldehyde from hair-straightening products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration plans to propose next April a rule that would ban formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals from hair-straightening products. An agency spokesperson provided no further details on timing.

Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen and has been linked to nasopharyngeal cancer and leukemia, according to the World Health Organization. The NIH study said phthalates and the other chemicals are suspected endocrine disruptors, which can interfere with the body’s hormones and are suspected of contributing to cancer risk.

Hair Relaxer Attorneys – Uterine Cancer Risk

Did you or a loved one develop uterine cancer after using L’Oreal or other hair straighteners? Shamis Gentile is currently investigating these matters. If you think you have a case, get in touch today for a free consultation. You may be eligible for compensation.