This is a collaborative post by Caitlyn Bell.
There have been some recent studies that have found shocking information highlighting that nearly 80% of the hair products that are specifically targeted at African American women contain chemicals that are linked to cancer, infertility, and obesity. If you are a woman who is suffering due to any of this, then you should find out if it’s your hair and other beauty products that are causing this and think about the actions you can take in terms of seeking out compensation for your troubles. If this is the case and you need an African American personal injury attorney, then click this link.
If we go through this US study, it’s found that up to 78% of products that are used to permanently straighten hair, called ‘relaxers’, contain a number of chemicals, which are classified as parabens, which are known to cause disruptions to the natural endocrine system. This messes up women’s hormones. These parabens mimic the naturally occurring hormone in women, estrogen. This can then disrupt the natural feedback loops in the body, causing the endocrine system to fluctuate and secrete incorrectly, which can cause cancer, reduced muscle mass and weight gain.
78% of other hair products, such as leave-in conditioners, contain another harmful chemical group known as phthalates. The industry uses this group of chemicals to extend the shelf life of their products, but they have been linked to early menopause and even ovarian cancer. 18 products were analyzed in this study and 11 contained chemicals that are banned under the cosmetic regulations of the EU due to their clear links to female infertility and cancer.
Results in another study suggest that these hair products aimed at black women contain, as a maximum, 45 hormone-disrupting chemicals and shockingly are not listed on their product labels. The worst products that often had these chemicals appearing in them would be the relaxers, root stimulators, and hair lotions. A shocking fact about this industry is the severe lapse in proper testing and that the industry is largely unregulated.
There are a vast number of studies that are coming out showing an increased risk of developing breast cancer in women that use permanent hair dye and straighteners and have particularly scary results for African American women. These women that are using permanent hair dyes every 5 to 8 weeks are increasing their risk of breast cancer by 60% which is a massive percentage in comparison to the 8% increased risk for white women.
If you are an African American women and have been experiencing complications to your health and have documented diagnosis of any conditions mentioned in this article, for example, a type of cancer, then you should get in touch with our lawyers to see how we can best serve you in getting the compensation you deserve and what lawsuit is viable in your case. As a firm, we encourage you to look into the products you are buying and swing towards natural, organic products as these are much safer.
