Lawsuits Link Hair Relaxers to Cancer

Three more women are suing L'Oreal and other beauty brands over claims chemicals in hair straighteners gave them cancer and tumors. L'Oreal said in a statement it was “confident” its products were safe, and said the claims have “no legal merit.”

Rhonda Terrell, 55, Bernadette Gordon, 49, and Rugieyatu Bhonopha, 39, were diagnosed with womb and breast tumors after using the products for decades.

The plaintiffs maintain the diagnoses robbed them of precious time with grandchildren, and they would never have used chemical hair straighteners if they had known the risks.

Lawsuits were filed by the trio in New York, Illinois and California, alleging their diagnosis 'was directly caused by exposure to chemicals found in L'Oreal hair care products' and those from other companies.

Jennifer Mitchell, 32, from Missouri became the first woman to sue L'Oreal last month after being diagnosed with womb cancer in 2018.

In a statement, L'Oreal said: “L'Oreal upholds the highest standards of safety for all its products. Our products are subject to a rigorous scienfitic evaluation of theiur safety by experts who also ensure that we follow strictly all regulations in every market in which we operate.”