An alarming study has linked hair relaxers to being the cause of a high percentage of Black women having fertility problems. As a Black woman, I am very concerned about the study because I used to get my hair relaxed from age 13-26. WebCelebDaily spoke exclusively with Attorney Kristen B. Pleasant of Pleasant & Williams, The Barristers’ Law Group in Monroe, LA. She and Attorney Jessica Williams are apart of one of the groups suing and trying to fight for compensation and to hold these hair relaxer companies liable for not advising women that using the products could have fertility side effects.
According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), the National Institutes of Health (NIH), their study showed that women who use chemical hair straighteners and relaxers are more than twice as likely to develop uterine or endometrial cancer. Most cases showed that the women ended up having to have a hysterectomy leaving them unable to have children. Uterine cancer is a disease responsible for killing nearly 13,000 women in the United States each year.
Attorney Pleasant explained how a short amount of use can cause long term problems.
“Using hair relaxers 4 times…just 4 times in any one year period, you are at risk. If you regularly use perms and develop uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, fibroids, endometriosis, and also infertility. All that has been linked to chemicals found in the hair products”.
Only 4 times?! Yea I thought about how wild that is too, but when you think about how strong the products are when you smell them, or the burning on your scalp….it makes sense.
Not only is Pleasant an advocate for other women suffering, but she is also apart of the many women affected. She shared her story with us.
“You know before this study came out, you could’ve never told me that the stuff I was putting in my hair was the reason I had Fibroids. I had to have 2 major surgeries, and I’ve been diagnosed with infertility and had 8 failed IVF rounds. So when the study came out in October, I had stopped getting relaxers in December. I’ve been relaxer free since but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any long term effects.”
“I normally wear short hair, so I was putting a relaxer in my hair, and going to the beauty shop, she would put the relaxer on my edges every 2 weeks. And when you think about it, it just makes sense because Black women are disproportionally affected by Fibroids and reproductive conditions at a higher rate than white women. So if you look at what we’ve been putting in our heads for years and years, it makes sense why we are more affected than White women.”
Endometriosis is a condition where tissue that normally grows on the inside of the uterus forms on the outside. This very painful condition affects so many Black women, and doctors usually are lost as to why their patients have it. I bet that we all know someone personally that is dealing with this on some level.
Many of the industry’s most popular brands have been named in lawsuits across the country. Studies believe the issue causing chemical is DEHP, which is found in almost all relaxers which means the number of cases in this law suit will be massive. These products include:
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African Pride
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Africa’s Best
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Crème of Nature
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Isoplus
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Just for Me
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L’Oreal Mizani
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Motions
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Organic Root Stimulator (ORS) Olive Oil
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ProfectivMegaGrowth
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Revlon
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Silk Elements
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Soft & Beautiful
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SoftSheen Carson (L’Oreal)
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SSC Dark and Lovely (L’Oreal)
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TCB Naturals
Another issue Attorney Pleasant spoke on was the lack of main steam media attention due it being such a big issue affecting Black women.
“Also, the media is not covering this, and it’s likely because it affects Black women and its not a hot topic. So many people don’t even know that this information is out there and they think it’s fraud, but it’s not, these are real cases and real people coming forward.”
Attorney Pleasant and Attorney Williams is asking for anyone that thinks they or someone they know that could have been affected to speak with them. The case evaluation is free, and no monies would be paid out to their law firm unless the case is settled or there is a win during trial. They will work with you and your doctor’s on medical history for the at least the last 10 years to make sure you qualify.
If you’ve been diagnosed with uterine or endometrial cancer, fibroids, endometriosis, or a similar condition after prolonged use of hair relaxing products, you may have a legal claim against the manufacturer. You can find more information about the case studies and how you can submit to see if you qualify for payment here.
You can also find the full case study and the harmful chemical DEHP by clicking the links below.
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