HAIR RELAXER CANCER LAWSUITS

Diagnosed with Uterine and Ovarian Cancer After Using Hair Relaxers?

Hair relaxers and chemical straighteners have been linked to higher risks of uterine and ovarian cancer, with frequent users facing more than double the risk.

Levy Konigsberg is reviewing hair relaxer cancer claims nationwide from women diagnosed with uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and other serious conditions.

Hair relaxers and chemical hair straightening products have been linked to a growing list of health concerns, including elevated risks of cancer. According to NIH-backed research, women who use hair relaxer products multiple times a year are more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer. Thousands of lawsuits have now been filed against hair relaxer manufacturers, alleging the companies knew or should have known about the dangers of their products and failed to warn consumers.

If you or someone you love used hair relaxers and were diagnosed with uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, or another serious health condition, Levy Konigsberg wants to help. 

Can Hair Relaxers Cause Cancer?

• Hair relaxers are chemical beauty products used to straighten curly or textured hair. They work by breaking down protein bonds in hair strands, and may be sold as creams, pastes, gels, sprays, or similar formulations.
• Hair relaxer and hair straightening products are readily available at hair salons, beauty supply stores, and major retailers across the country and are widely used in black and African American communities, a consumer base heavily targeted by the companies that make and market these products.
• But while hair relaxers are widely available, new research has revealed that they can be dangerous.
• As products that typically contain phthalates and other harsh and hazardous chemicals, hair relaxers have been associated with various health conditions and increased risks of cancer – particularly with long-term and consistent use. That’s a problem for people who buy these products, as hair relaxer manufacturers typically direct consumers to apply products near the scalp and to reapply the chemical products every several weeks to maintain straightened hair.

Studies Link Hair Relaxer Chemicals to Cancer

Scientists have long known that hair relaxers and other similar products contain hazardous chemicals, such as formaldehyde, with carcinogenic (cancer causing) and endocrine-disrupting properties.

Several studies have also found associations between the use of these hair products and higher risks of hormone-sensitive cancers. It was not until October 2022, however, that a new study showed just how significant those risks are.

Following the studies, a growing number of women have begun filing lawsuits against companies that make, market, and sell hair relaxer products. These lawsuits claim that the toxic chemicals in hair relaxer products caused their cancers and health conditions and that product manufacturers failed to uphold their duty to provide safe products and adequately warn consumers about potential risks.

Study Linking Hair Relaxer Chemicals to Uterine Cancer

• A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), found compelling links between chemicals found in hair relaxer products and uterine cancer. It included nearly 34,000 participants from diverse backgrounds between the ages of 35 and 74 who reported their use of hair products and agreed to be monitored over 10+ years.

The study’s findings were significant:

• Participants who used hair relaxers had an elevated risk of developing uterine cancer compared to those who did not; and
• Participants who used hair relaxers more frequently (over four times a year) were 2.5x more likely to develop uterine cancer.

Study Linking Hair Relaxer Chemicals to Ovarian Cancer

• In 2021, a study was published by Oxford University Press on hair product use and ovarian cancer risk, following 40,559 women ages 35 to 74 over a mean of 10 years.

The study found that frequent use of hair straighteners, relaxers, or pressing products — more than four times per year — was associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer.

The researchers noted that these products may contain carcinogens and endocrine disruptors that can be absorbed into the bloodstream.

Who’s at Risk?

Anyone who has used hair relaxer products faces risks associated with elevated health risks. However, people who have used hair relaxers for many years and people who use them frequently (more than 4 times per year) face the greatest risks of developing cancer, according to the latest research.

In addition, the NIH study noted that black and African American women are affected more than women who identify with other races or ethnicities. The study suggested that the cause of black women’s overrepresentation was likely due to:

• Higher prevalence and frequency of using hair relaxers
• Younger age of first use
• Harsher chemical formulations (higher concentrations of EDCs) in products marketed to black women
• Marketing efforts targeting black women

Many of the companies that manufacture and sell these products market heavily to black consumers, relying on societal pressures for people of color, and particularly black women, to straighten their hair and conform to historical European beauty standards. However, these companies also failed to advise consumers about the dangers associated with their products.

History of Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuits

Hair relaxer lawsuits continue to move forward in courts nationwide. Recent developments include:

• In September 2026, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes filed a consumer fraud lawsuit against L’Oréal USA, its parent company L’Oréal S.A., and SoftSheen, alleging the companies advertised and sold chemical hair relaxers without disclosing that the products contained chemicals linked to an increased risk of cancer, including ovarian and uterine cancers.

The lawsuit alleged the products contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals, phthalates, parabens, and other chemicals classified by federal and international agencies as known or probable human carcinogens, and that the companies marketed the products primarily to Black women — and in some cases children — while prioritizing profits over consumer safety.

The complaint cited a 2022 National Institutes of Health study that found women who used hair-straightening products more than four times in the previous year were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer as women who did not.

L’Oréal faces more than 12,000 similar lawsuits consolidated in multidistrict litigation in federal court in Chicago.

• In October 2025, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned a lower court ruling that dismissed a lawsuit against L’Oréal and Strength of Nature.

The plaintiff alleged she used the companies’ hair relaxer products for years and was diagnosed with fibroids in 2018.

• In February 2023, the U.S. Judicial Panel of Multidistrict Litigation issued an order consolidating hair relaxer cancer lawsuits into a new Multi-District Litigation (MDL) in the Northern District of Illinois. The hair relaxer MDL will begin with nearly 60 pending lawsuits that have been filed by victims against L’Oréal and other beauty supply companies. MDLs are a special process that expedite the processing of complex cases in a single federal court.
• In August 2022, the EPA issued a proposed rule to add Di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) and other phthalates to the list of toxic chemicals subject to greater regulatory reporting requirements. These are the same chemicals in hair relaxers responsible for increased cancer risks. The EPA announced that it will issue a final rule in May 2023.

Recoverable Damages in Cancer Claims

Victims in cancer-related claims are entitled to a financial recovery of their damages. While every case is different, these damages generally include:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Costs associated with medications and therapies
• Lost income and lost future earnings
• Physical pain and suffering
• Emotional injuries
• Other economic and non-economic damages

In cases involving fatal cancers, qualifying family members who file wrongful death and survival actions can recover other types of compensation, including:

• Medical expenses
• Funeral and burial costs
• Lost financial support
• Lost emotional support and lost consortium

In some cases, courts may also award plaintiffs punitive damages. Punitive damages are a class of damages meant to further punish defendants whose conduct rises to an unacceptable standard of negligence, wrongdoing, or impunity. Punitive damages are not awarded in every case, but they are not uncommon in high-stakes and emotionally turbulent cases like those involving cancer diagnoses.

Resources for Victims & Families

• National Cancer Institute Mesothelioma Portal
• American Cancer Society Patient Programs
• CDC Cancer Resource Library

Frequently Asked Questions