National Institutes of Health (NIH) Study

In 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported the results of an 11-year study tracking cancer rates among women who used chemical hair straighteners. A diagnosis of uterine cancer was more likely among women who said they used hair straightening products five or more times each year.

Chemical Hair Straightener Cancer Lawsuit Attorneys

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Author: Patrick D.

If You’ve Been Diagnosed with Uterine or Endometrial Cancer and Have Been a Frequent User of Chemical Hair Straighteners, Call MyPhillyLawyer Today

Hair Relaxer / Chemical Hair Straightener – Find Out If You Qualify

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In 2022, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) reported the results of an 11-year study tracking cancer rates among women who used chemical hair straighteners. The study followed 33,497 women between the ages of 35 and 74.

In the eleven years they participated in the study, over three hundred and seventy women reported uterine cancer diagnoses. A diagnosis of uterine cancer was more likely among women who said they used hair straightening products five or more times each year.

Researchers estimated that only 1.64 percent of women who never used hair straighteners would develop uterine cancer by age seventy. When women used hair straighteners at least four times a year, that number jumped to over four percent – more than twice the risk.

What Makes Hair Straighteners Dangerous?

Hair straightening products contain chemicals called phthalates. Also known as “plasticizers,” phthalates are added to hair straighteners to relax the hair and create a softer feel.

Yet phthalates are dangerous. Multiple studies have shown that phthalates can disrupt the endocrine system – the parts of the body that manage hormone production and uptake.

While the effects of phthalate exposure vary depending on the type and amount of phthalates involved, endocrine disruption from phthalate exposure has been linked to many hormone-related problems, including a higher risk of uterine cancer.

Product Liability Claims Involving Hair Straighteners

Product liability claims seek to hold a manufacturer or distributor responsible for dangerous hidden defects in their products.

Hair straightening product cancer claims already filed in court suggest that at least one manufacturer knew as early as 2015 that phthalates were linked to severe health risks and shouldn’t be used in hair straightening products. However, these companies continued to put phthalates in their hair straighteners.

Both manufacturing and warning defects may apply in hair straightener cases. Including cancer-causing chemicals in hair products incorporates dangerous substances into the product itself. Also, many hair straighteners on the market fail to warn users about the presence of certain chemicals by listing these ingredients as “fragrance” or “perfume” rather than by their specific names.

Buyers of these hair straighteners often had no way of knowing that the product contained dangerous chemicals. Manufacturers of these products, however, likely knew for years.

Speak to a MyPhillyLawyer Today

If you’ve used hair straightening products and have been diagnosed with Uterine or Endometrial cancer, call us today. The legal team at MyPhillyLawyer is here to answer your questions and explain your legal options. To learn more, contact us at our Philadelphia law office at 215-227-2727 or call us toll-free at (866) 352-4572 for a free and confidential consultation.

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