Is Optimum Relaxer Good for Your Hair?

Permanent chemical hair straighteners are designed to work by damaging the hair to reset its natural curl pattern. Using a process known as lanthionization, this chemical transformation dissolves the disulfide bonds in a hair strand. These bonds cause hair to be curly or straight, with curly hair having more bonds and straight hair having fewer.

Whether an individual gets a chemical straightening treatment from a hairstylist in a salon or self-applies straightening products at home, chemical hair straightening products are left on the hair shaft and scalp for an extended time until the chemical reaction is complete.

Many of the chemicals in hair relaxers contain carcinogens, which are chemicals known to cause cancer in the human body and that also disrupt the endocrine system. Chemicals that are not carcinogens but also harm the human endocrine system are called “endocrine disrupting chemicals”(EDCs).

A recent study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) discovered a link between use of chemical hair straighteners and reproductive cancers, specifically uterine cancer. Some women have reportedly had hysterectomies as young as 28 due to their use of these products since childhood.

According to the study, women who never used a chemical hair straightener had a uterine cancer rate of 1.64%, compared to women who used chemical hair straighteners frequently having a uterine cancer rate of 4.05%—nearly double the number.

Most of these chemical hair straighteners are disproportionately used by Black and brown women. 60% of affected individuals in the study were of African descent. These women, since birth, have been pressured to adopt Euro-centric beauty standards, which include straight hair texture.

Long-term usage of Optimum and other hair relaxers can result in serious health conditions and long-term effects, including:

• Uterine Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Uterine Fibroids

Using chemical hair straighteners, even on a one-off basis, is not without risk. Even from one use, individuals can experience injuries, such as:

• Hair Breakage
• Chemical Burns
• Scalp Inflammation
• Eczema
• Hair Loss
• Damage to the Hair Shaft
• Change in Hair Color and Composition

Consumers have a general right to be informed about the products they purchase and to hold companies accountable and responsible when preventable injuries occur. When a manufacturer knows about a reasonable risk with their product, they have a responsibility to warn consumers about this risk and to clearly explain the most appropriate way to use the product. If a consumer uses the product as intended and was never warned about the dangerous side effects and consequences, that consumer may be eligible to pursue compensation in a lawsuit. 

From the perspective that the product performs the hair relaxing process as intended, many people may assume that Optimum relaxer is good for their hair. In fact, many consumers have used this product for years. 

Unfortunately, many products marketed to consumers may be defective or dangerous. In many cases, the company may have knowledge of these serious risks in advance and thus has a legal responsibility to warn consumers about the dangers so that a consumer can make an informed decision about whether or not to purchase the product. If this doesn't happen, someone may wind up suffering significant consequences that can alter the course of their life. 

Consumers rely on the manufacturer of a product to provide them with important information about safety risks and proper application. When a company fails to warn consumers of health risks or fails to properly test a product for inherent dangers, they must take responsibility for endangering consumers.

If you or a loved one regularly used a chemical hair straightening product and were recently diagnosed with cancer, you may be eligible to file a claim. 

If you believe that you have recently been diagnosed with a significant and painful side effect, such as endometriosis, uterine cancer, or uterine fibroids, you should take your case seriously by hiring a qualified attorney. 

Even though medical research has drawn a connection between the use of chemical hair relaxers and the development of uterine medical issues, it can still be challenging to hold the company accountable without hiring an experienced defective products lawyer. 

Defective products lawyers can help consumers who have been injured because of a company or manufacturer's failure to warn or failure to develop a safe product. 

As a consumer, you expect to learn everything about the safety risks of using a product when you purchase it, and you certainly do not expect that you'll be dealing with devastating fallout like uterine fibroids or uterine cancer if you were never told that this was a potential risk. Consumers count on the information packaged with a product in order to determine whether or not it is safe for them to use and to what extent they wish to use it. When a consumer does not have all of the information available to them, a manufacturer may be held liable in a product liability lawsuit. 

If you're dealing with the fallout from use of a hair relaxer, either from applying it a few times or regularly over the course of years, speak to an attorney at Morgan & Morgan today to learn more about filing a lawsuit. You may be eligible to recover compensation for your medical treatments and other damages. Work only with a legal team who has the necessary track record, talent, and reputation throughout the country for fighting hard on behalf of victims. 

Optimum relaxer is not good for your hair or your overall health. If you’ve used it, contact us today for a free, no-obligation case evaluation to learn how you can fight back.