At this point, I’m not sure what can’t cause cancer. Throw in the dreaded “black women are predisposed/more likely to…” line and it’s like a broken record.

There’s always been a buzz around adverse effects of hair relaxers on hair. We now have confirmation of farther-reaching medical consequences: in October 2022, the results of a disruptive 10-year-long National Institutes of Health (NIH) study revealed a probable link between prolonged use of hair relaxers and uterine cancer. Regular users were twice as likely to be diagnosed with uterine cancer due to various harmful ingredients including parabens and phthalates. Needless to say, the majority of hair relaxer consumers are black women.

Mitchell v. L’Oréal USA, Inc. et al. (1:22-CV-05815) was filed in Chicago shortly after by a young black female plaintiff who at age 28, after applying hair relaxers since childhood, was diagnosed with uterine cancer, driven to treat it through a complete hysterectomy, and catapulted into premature menopause. Her case: L’Oréal and the others knowingly produced these toxic products that would put consumers at increased risk of cancer and failed to warn them of said risk.

From this initial suit, hair relaxer litigation is expected to boom in the coming months, possibly involving class actions, given the breadth of black women who use relaxers and have subsequently been diagnosed with uterine cancer, endometriosis, and related illnesses. U.S. law firms are on the matter, and I’ve even seen a lawyer officially styled ‘Hair Relaxer Attorney’.

It’s too early to tell the outcomes of these product liability claims. On one hand, I believe much still hangs in the air particularly with respect to proving causation. The NIH study did caution that further research is necessary to establish a causal relationship, and U.S. courts will scrutinize the moving parts. Are there any potentially superseding causes of the cancer such as a family history of it? Could any other of the endless carcinogens to which we’re constantly exposed have been the cause? Can plaintiffs prove that they used the hair relaxers as intended? Can they show how the manufacturing companies would have known of the risks prior to the publication of conclusive research?

On the other hand, I believe these events invite the courts to dramatically shape public policy, grounded in research, at a time where black women’s health appears increasingly neglected. At the outset, while cosmetics companies may not market poisonous substances likely to injure health, it’s important to note that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not require the registration of cosmetic products for its approval.

Beauty products are not some harmless add-ons in the current sociocultural climate; with many black women unsure of taking an afro to work, hair relaxers continue to feel like a silent requirement. If they can pose serious health risks, they require stronger regulation such as mandates that clear warnings of risk must be displayed on the products.

But in the interim – and as we don’t like to be told what to do – we’ll have to meet the authorities halfway by personally staying abreast of the growing body of research on our cosmetic products and making the hard choices for our health while challenging the norms that restrict natural tresses. I’ve been natural for just over 3 years, and as a serial wig wearer, I’m proud to have recently outdoored my puff for 4 days straight. No, living in Africa does not undo decades of relying on convenient hair. Baby steps…

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