A woman who developed uterine cancer after using L’Oreal USA’s chemical hair straightening products filed a lawsuit against the corporation on Friday. The complaint filed in federal court in Illinois argues that the woman’s illness was “directly and proximally caused by her regular and sustained exposure to phthalates and other endocrine disrupting substances” present in L’Oreal cosmetics.
Jenny Mitchell stated in her legal claim that she had used the goods for more than two decades prior to being diagnosed with uterine cancer and being obliged to undergo a complete hysterectomy.
The lawsuit was filed mere days after the Journal of the National Cancer Institute published a research linking the use of chemical hair straightening products to the development of uterine cancer.
The study indicated that women who straightened their hair more than four times per year were more than twice as likely to acquire uterine cancer than those who did not use hair straightening products. 33,497 American women between the ages of 35 and 74 were tested over the period of roughly 11 years for this study. According to the study, 378 women were diagnosed with uterine cancer throughout this time period.
Uterine cancer is uncommon, although its frequency is increasing in the United States, particularly among Black women.
Ben Crump, a civil rights and personal injury attorney for Mitchell, said in a statement, “Black women have long been the targets of deadly items sold expressly to them.” On Monday afternoon, Crump, who represents Mitchell, was supposed to speak about the lawsuit at a news conference.
Mitchell’s civil case seeks damages from many corporations, including the U.S. arm of L’Oreal, the French cosmetics giant.
Crump stated, “We will undoubtedly uncover that Ms. Mitchell’s terrible situation is one of several instances in which firms aggressively mislead Black women to increase profits.”
The company did not immediately respond to the lawsuit.