Give much Black women, having a relaxed person was once considered a social norm. However, that very important element of Black Hair Care can do more harm than good.
That’s definitely the case for 28 year olds Jenny Mitchellwho claimed that she developed uterine cancer which led to her having a hysterectomy due to years of use of dilators as previously reported Shade room.
She also learned that the National Institutes of Health followed more than 33,000 women for 11 years citing that those who reported regularly using hair straightening products had a higher risk of uterine cancer. double.
Hair Conditioner Found to Have Cancer-causing Chemicals, Lawsuits, National Institutes of Health Claims
The most worrying part is that companies like L’Oreal and Soft Sheen may have been aware of the risks associated with prolonged use and failed to warn consumers.
Black women are now breaking their silence and seeking justice for what they see as negligence on behalf of the relaxation industry. Jenny Mitchell, along with countless other women, is currently filing a federal lawsuit against several major hair care manufacturers.
Could this be a case of companies being misinformed about the dangers of their products? Or have these companies put profits above protecting their consumers?
Mitchell says this issue should not be ignored by any black woman.
“I don’t want a different me,” Mitchell told Justin Carter of TSR Investigates. “At 28, it’s impossible to have a family of your own.”
Lawsuit filed against major hair product lines after black woman developed uterine cancer
She and her attorneys are filing a major federal lawsuit in Illinois against L’Oreal, Soft Sheen and other hair care products that many black women depend on for straightening hair, products like Motions No Lye Relaxer, Soft & Beautiful, Just for Me, Olive Oil Girls, Dark & Lovely and Southern Carson.
“As an African-American woman, it is societal norm to have your hair look a certain way,” Mitchell continued. “Don’t leave your hair natural because it doesn’t look professional.”
But she says social norms have made her incapable of having children. She was even more stunned when the aforementioned National Institutes of Health followed more than 33,000 women for 11 years.
On October 22, 2022, they published a study that found that 33,000 people who used a hair straightener had “more than twice the risk of developing uterine cancer than those who didn’t use the product.” .
The study, which followed 33,000 women over an 11-year period, found those who used a relaxation pill were twice as likely to develop uterine cancer.
During that 11-year period, the institute reported 378 diagnosed cases of uterine cancer.
“Our clients will have a court date, we are prepared to fight, we believe in science and they need to be held accountable,” said attorney Diandra “Fu” Debrosse Zimmerman. “Because they refuse to warn, and because they prioritize money.”
That remains the biggest question regarding these cancer-causing products: what do these companies know? And if they did, when did they know about it?
According to the lawsuit, hair straightening products have been known to harm the endocrine system “which regulates all biological processes in the body.”
Such relaxation drugs contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals that can cause uterine cancer, especially Di-2-ethylhexylphthalate, or DEHP for short.
It claims that the chemical is “highly toxic” and insulin-resistant, and leads to high blood pressure along with the aforementioned reproductive problems: “including earlier menopause, low birth weight, miscarriage and premature birth”, claim clearly stated.
‘Very Toxic’ Chemical Found in Hair Straighteners, No Warning on Packaging Complaints
Despite using the products for more than two decades, Mitchell and her lawsuit allege that “there was never any indication, on the Product packaging or otherwise, that normal use This can and will predispose her to uterine cancer.
Heather Irobunda of NYC-based OBG-YN told The Shade Room that the chemicals in question have also been linked to ovarian and breast cancer.
Dr Irobunda says these concerns have so far been ignored by the medical community.
Women like Mitchell filing lawsuits against such hair care companies have a solid case as long as they can prove that the companies knowingly sold their products with dangerous chemicals without exposing them. Full warning on packaging.
Irobunda goes on to say that she discourages her patients from using such products and offers healthier alternatives like heat such as flatiron, which have not been found to cause cancer.
Renowned defense lawyer Ben Crump launched the case, expecting “thousands of women”
Meanwhile, prominent defense attorney Ben Crump, who handled Mitchell’s case, said Shade room that his phone was ringing.
“We hope thousands of more women come forward,” Crump said, adding that “this is just the beginning”.
Crump went on to say that black women shouldn’t risk their health for some abstract sense of European beauty. And Mitchell urges women of color to be regularly checked by their OBG-YN, especially if they regularly use such hair care products.
Shade room contacted L’Oreal for comment, who said the lawsuits “have no merit.”
“We are confident in the safety of our products and believe that the recent lawsuits against us have no merit. L’Oreal upholds the highest safety standards for all of its products. Our products are rigorously scientifically evaluated by experts.”
TSR Investigates explores cold cases and news stories of special interest that get little coverage in the mainstream media.
