Have you ever used a hair straightener to achieve a sleek, glossy look? It’s a common styling tool that many women rely on for tangle-free hair and smooth styles.
What if you learned that your favorite hair straightener could pose a risk to your health? You may already have a valid reason to join a growing body of women who are trying to pursue justice against negligent product manufacturers over the damage they’ve already suffered.
How do chemical hair straightening products work?
Hair straightening products use a combination of chemicals and heat to break down the natural structure of your hair. Some of the common chemicals found in hair straighteners include parabens, sodium thioglycolate, cyclosiloxanes, benzophenone-3, triclosan, phthalates, sodium hydroxide, diethanolamine, ammonium thioglycolate and formaldehyde – and that may just be for starters. The chemicals in these products can leach into your scalp and get into your bloodstream over time, disrupting your endocrine system and leading to serious health complications – including cancer.
What conditions have been associated with chemical hair straighteners?
Research by the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) published in 2022 indicates that women who frequently use chemical straighteners were 2.5 times more likely to develop uterine cancer than women who don’t use these products. In addition, these products have also been linked in other studies to breast cancer, uterine fibroids and endometriosis.
If you’re currently undergoing treatment for any of the conditions listed above and there were at least four years between your first full year using a chemical hair straightener and the onset of your condition, you may qualify to join an existing class action claim. (That four-year interval is known as a “latency period” that’s generally needed between exposure to the chemicals and the onset of a related disease.)
Which brands are currently listed as defendants?
Several cosmetic brands have been named as defendants in hair straightener lawsuits due to the presence of EDCs in their products. Some of the prominent brands include:
- Olive Oil Girls
- L’Oreal
- Dark and Lovely
- TCB Naturals
- Just for Me
- Namaste
- Motions
- Strength of Nature Global LLC
- Soft & Beautiful
- Optimum
Don’t let your health concerns go unnoticed. Nobody’s health should be damaged in the name of beauty routines – and negligent or reckless manufacturers deserve to be held accountable for their cavalier attitudes toward women’s health. If you have developed cancer or another medical condition as a result of using hair straighteners from any of the above-mentioned brands (or others), filing a hair straightener lawsuit – or joining one that has already been filed – could be your best course of action.