Following recent research showing a link between chemical curling irons and certain strains of cancer in black and brown women with natural hair, Rep. Stephanie Zinnerman recently promoted these products for decades. She joined a legal team led by a Black woman who is spearheading a lawsuit against a hair company that was There are no health and safety warnings.
In addition to the 2019 CROWN Act, New York State has already introduced several laws to protect against harmful hair chemicals and harmful marketing tactics.
“When we’re talking about certain types of chemicals, we know we shouldn’t ingest them. Even if you put chemicals on your head, they still end up in your bloodstream, so you still can’t consume them. “I’m doing it,” said Zinnerman, who was tying her hair. Natural style for about 32 years. “We want people to be aware. What they don’t tell us is how many people get chemical burns and how many people lose their hair and end up with alopecia that never recovers. Not all of that information is transparent to consumers.”
The bill includes S6528A, which requires hairdressers or natural hair stylists to be educated on all hair types and textures. AB3877 requires hair relaxer products to carry warning labels if they contain certain hazardous chemicals. A9068, restricts the sale of chemical hair relaxers and permanent hairstyle kits to hair salons or licensed stylists. A8624A creates practice and opportunities for natural hair care and braiding.
Women aren’t just forcing beauty companies to legally adhere to industry standards. They are also fighting back in court. Heather Palmore of Palmore Law Group and her co-counsel Tope O. Reim of Motley Rice LLC represent 8,393 women (among the claimants) in multidistrict hair relaxer litigation nationwide. (Some people have already died due to cancer diagnosis.)
Based on a scientific study using 2022 National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) data, they found that chemicals in hair relaxer products can reduce ovarian, uterine, and endometrial cancer. claims to be causing it. They also claim that the product manufacturer misrepresented its safety for hair. Using “misleading language” on packaging and advertising using phrases such as “botanical,” “natural,” “gentle,” “healthy,” “tight coils that can be safely stretched,” and “super super.” , which offers relaxing products while specifically targeting women and children of color. Nourish. ”
“This case is special to me because my firm has handled historic cases such as asbestos, big tobacco, and opioid cases, but this case is so close to home for me and so “I’ve never had a case that was so well understood,” Reim said. “It’s an honor and a privilege.”
For more than a century, hair relaxers have been a staple product for black and brown people who wanted to achieve straight hair in order to adhere to more “white” beauty standards. The hair relaxer industry generates approximately $690 million annually, and is expected to grow to $854 million annually by 2028, according to the legal group.
Ciara Walton, executive committee member of the NAACP’s Brooklyn branch, said of straight hair, “When I was a kid, I dreamed of having straight hair.” Walton’s mother was adamant about her getting a hair relaxer when she was younger, even though she used one herself. “I’m from Jacksonville, Florida, and in the South, that didn’t matter to us. It was ‘wear your hair and straighten it,’ which means get a employable job. .”
Parent companies and hair relaxer brands named in the lawsuit include Avlon, Dabur, Godrej SON Holdings, House of Cheatham, JF Labs, L’Oréal, Luster, McBride, Namaste Laboratories, PDC Brands, Revlon Inc., Sally Beauty, Softsheen Carson, Strength of Nature, Affirm, African Pride, Africa’s Best, Cantu, Crème of Nature, Dark and Lovely, Design Essentials, Dr. Miracles, Dream Kids, Hawaiian Silky, Just for Me, Mizani, Motion, Optima Mu Care, Organic Root Stimulator, ORS Olive Oil, Pink Conditioning Alkaline-Free Relaxer, Protective Mega Growth, Revlon Real, Roots of Nature, Silk Element, Smooth Touch Alkaline-Free Relaxer, Soft & Beautiful, TCB, and TCB Natural.
Many of the ingredients in hair relaxers and related products contain endocrine disruptors and carcinogens that have been linked to reproductive cancers such as cervical, ovarian, uterine, vaginal, vulvar, and breast cancer. It is. According to the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI), these chemicals can interfere with the normal functioning of the endocrine system and block hormone signals by altering DNA and cell structure. .
Black and Hispanic women are disproportionately exposed to these products and are subsequently diagnosed with “aggressive” breast tumors, ovarian tumors, and types of uterine and endometrial cancers, compared to white women. JNCI reported that the survival rate was low. Symptoms include bleeding between periods, pelvic pain, and vaginal bleeding after menopause. Less obvious symptoms include abdominal bloating or swelling, back pain, changes in bowel habits, fatigue, frequent urination, weight loss, and pelvic discomfort.
These products have been used for generations in homes and hair salons across the United States and have been considered an intricate part of Black culture, allowing for assimilation at work, school and society at large, Palmore said. said.
“I think like a lot of young black girls growing up, hair was very important in my house. There’s no way around it. Hair was an important part of our rituals,” Palmore said. he said. Her mother and cousin had recently died of ovarian cancer, and she frequently used relaxants.
“Hair has always been an issue, especially in the industry I work in,” she said. “The way you looked at that time, you had to present yourself a certain way. As a trial lawyer, I have to be everyone in front of hundreds of strangers every day. I felt that the way I wore my hair was an important part of my job because it helped me connect with certain people.”
Natasha Gaspard of the National Hairstyle & Braid Coalition, Inc. said that as a child, she remembers admiring the little black girls with silky, manageable hair she saw on Kiddy Perm boxes and commercials. . She considered such hair a rite of passage into becoming a young adult. During her college years, she toyed with the idea of going natural with her hair. Eventually, she founded Mane Moves Media, a natural hair and beauty-focused video network that creates lifestyle content for women of color.
“I knew I lied. I was drinking the Kool-Aid,” Gaspard said of the hair. “And the fear was real. I didn’t know if I was going to get a job, I didn’t know if my boyfriend would want it. I knew my mom wouldn’t like it, but that was the biggest deterrent. It was one thing. Growing up, straight long hair was the standard of beauty, so I didn’t think I could be beautiful anymore.”
Researchers in the NIEHS sister study found that much of the harm caused by these chemical curling irons was due to “frequent use,” meaning more than four times a year. In recent decades, the natural movement of the hair has slowed down the use of products, and despite the advent of alkaline-free formulas, most people who use relaxers still use their relaxers four or more times throughout the year. I use it often.
“We need to recognize the historical and cultural significance of this country and society putting pressure on people to wear their hair a certain way,” Reim said. “Understanding the context is why people reach for hair relaxers.”
In 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a ban on formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in hair relaxers. The administration had planned to announce a proposed ban in April 2024, but has not yet done so.
“Consumer Protection – When you use our services, we are aware of all potential hazards and mitigate them so that you can have a beautiful but healthy experience. “The law is in place to do that,” Zinnerman said.
The hair relaxer lawsuit is currently in the “discovery stage” of litigation in the Northern District of Illinois, Reim said. No lawsuit has been settled yet, and the first clinical trials of hair relaxers are not likely to begin until 2025.
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