The Hazards Associated with Hair Straighteners: Health Risks, Legal Battle, and More

February 25, 2024

Hair straighteners or relaxers are a commonly used personal care product, especially among women with unmanageable hair. They are mainly useful in taming frizzy hair, smoothing out unruly hair, or creating an intricate hairdo.

The ultimate aim of using a hair straightener is to achieve a sleek finish that complements the wearer’s ensemble. It could be cascading flowy hair or a fancy updo. With the right process and steps, any woman can flaunt a flawless hairstyle with this beneficial haircare product.

The global market for hair relaxers was valued at $612.6 million in 2023 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.4% by 2032. This may sound like good news only from the commercial front. In reality, hair relaxers or straighteners are earning a bad name lately. In this article, we will discuss the health risks and legal battles involved with hair relaxers or straighteners. 

The History of the Hair Straightener/Relaxer

The interesting thing about hair straighteners is that they are not a novel invention. This technique for straightening out hair has been used since the 1890s. However, it only became popular during the 1950s, especially among people from the Black community.

The first-ever hair straightener was patented back in 1909 by Sir Isaac K. Shero who pressed together two heated flat irons. Sometime later, heated metal implements became common because they were easier to use compared to the original product.

The first model of the modern flat iron came out in 1912. However, its succeeding generation became the most popular (released in 2001). These hair relaxers became synonymous with hairdressing and keep.

Health Risks Involved

One may wonder how such a seemingly innocent product could cause any harm. When it comes to the heat associated with flat irons, electrocution or burns may be a potential risk. However, the problem associated with hair straighteners goes much deeper.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), women who regularly use hair relaxers are vulnerable to developing cancer of the uterus. The researchers tested other haircare products too – dyes, highlights, bleach, etc. No such health dangers were found with these other products.

To put things into perspective, women who used hair relaxers four or more times were 2x as likely to develop the said cancer. Uterine cancer is also the most common cancer associated with the female reproductive system.

What was even more shocking was that the risk was highest among women from the Black community. This does make sense because hair relaxers are most commonly used among Black women to manage their tightly coiled natural hair.

Legal Repercussions

Though the probability of uterine cancer is the highest, hair straighteners may also cause other cancers like ovarian and breast cancer. If we observe, all these cancers are hormone-sensitive. This means what makes hair straighteners cancerous are certain chemicals present in these tools.

Chemicals like formaldehyde, phthalates, and parabens can easily get absorbed through the skin and affect the endocrine system. Does this mean hair straightener manufacturers knew about the health risks involved? It appears so, as alleged by women who suffered the said injuries.

Many have filed a hair straightener cancer lawsuit against manufacturers like L’Oreal. They believe that the companies were aware of the severity of injuries their product could cause. Yet, they failed to warn consumers (most likely due to greed for profits).

According to TorHoerman Law, the legal process can be complicated, so women are seeking professional help for gathering evidence, assessing damages, and determining liability. The claims don’t just surround the product’s design defect and the manufacturers’ failure to warn.

Companies like L’Oreal and Revlon are also accused of unjust enrichment and fraud. To date, nearly 8,217 lawsuits have been filed, and the litigation only continues to grow. Plaintiff attorneys are still accepting cases in multi-district litigation (MDL).

These cases also include those where the plaintiff only suffered economic damages due to misleading information (not physical injury). Here, the plaintiffs argue that they paid more for the product than they would have had they known the risks involved with the product. 

Currently, the defendants are contending that mere economic damages cannot constitute an injury. This does make sense and stands to reason before the court. However, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has taken a serious step in safeguarding women’s health.

The Agency has proposed a complete ban on chemicals like formaldehyde in hair straighteners. Besides, women are encouraged to opt for safer alternatives like the Brazilian blowout technique, keratin treatments, etc. These work with all kinds of hair texture, though they may not be a permanent solution (well, at least they’re non-toxic!).

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