Top beauty brands face lawsuits over hair product concerns
For many consumers, the quest for beauty has turned into a potentially deadly nightmare. Each year, billions are spent on hair products, particularly chemical relaxers designed to straighten curly hair. With over 10.5 million annual users in the U.S. alone, the hair relaxer industry is both lucrative and controversial.
A Growing Legal Battle
Thousands of Black women are now suing the manufacturers of hair relaxers in a federal court in Chicago, citing severe health risks linked to these products.
The Controversial History of Hair Relaxers
Hair relaxers were introduced in the early 1900s as a groundbreaking solution for hair management. However, this successful industry highlights a troubling reality. As one plaintiff shared in an NBC News segment about the lawsuits, “I wanted a job … going to an employer with an afro back in those days would not have cut it.”
Research from Dove and LinkedIn in 2023 revealed that Black women’s hair is 2.5 times more likely to be deemed “unprofessional” compared to that of white women. The findings include:
- 66% of Black women alter their hair for job interviews.
- 41% switch from curly to straight hair.
- 54% feel pressured to wear straight hair for interview success.
- 25% believe their hair has led to missed job opportunities.
“Some women felt societal pressure to straighten their hair in the ’80s and ’90s, while others were influenced by family or the allure of Eurocentric beauty portrayed in ads,” explained Fidelma Fitzpatrick, a New York attorney co-leading the lawsuit.
Marketing and Misrepresentation
TV commercials, magazine ads, and storefront promotions often feature women with silky, straight hair, promoting promises of “salon-worthy, silky, smooth hair” that remains moisturized. For just $7.49 at Target, consumers are tempted to achieve the same look, yet these products are accused of false advertising, lacking disclosures about potential health risks.
Health Risks of Chemical Hair Relaxers
A 2022 National Institute of Health study indicated that regular users of hair relaxers develop uterine cancer at more than twice the rate of non-users. Other studies have linked relaxer use to higher incidences of breast and ovarian cancers, along with increased occurrences of fibroids and aggressive tumor growth.
“This doubling rate is concerning. However, it is important to put this information into context — uterine cancer is a relatively rare type of cancer,” noted Alexandra White, head of the NIEHS Environment and Cancer Epidemiology group and lead author of the study.
The incidence of uterine cancer has been rising in the U.S., particularly among Black women, leading to devastating consequences. An NBC News segment featured five women plaintiffs who had all undergone hysterectomies due to uterine cancer after years of using hair relaxers. One plaintiff, Marnita Ballard, shared her emotional journey after her cancer diagnosis at age 37: “It made me feel like my womanhood was taken away.”
L’Oréal’s Involvement
In November 2023, L’Oréal released a statement emphasizing that the “health and wellbeing of all our consumers” is its highest priority. However, the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit consumer advocacy organization, has rated the L’Oréal Dark & Lovely Hair Relaxer with a “health hazard score” of 10 out of 10.
The women allege that the cosmetics giant falsely marketed these hair relaxers as safe while knowing, or failing to acknowledge, the harmful chemicals they contain.
A Growing Mass Lawsuit
These lawsuits fall under product liability law, which holds manufacturers responsible for defective and dangerous products. As of August 1, there are over 8,200 active cases, making this one of the fastest-growing mass lawsuits in recent history.
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