The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Chicago on Friday, just days after the National Institute of Environmental Health Safety (NIEHS) released a study that found hair-straightening products may significantly increase the risk of uterine cancer among frequent users.
Jennifer Mitchell, the plaintiff, claimed she was diagnosed with uterine cancer in 2018 after using L'Oreal products since she was 10 years old. She is requesting that the court order L'Oreal to pay unspecified monetary damages as well as medical monitoring.
Diandra Debrosse Zimmermann, a lawyer for Mitchell, stated that her firm has other clients in similar situations. She predicted that more lawsuits would be filed in the future because "many women will come forward in the coming weeks and months to seek accountability."
L'Oreal did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
According to federal government data, uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, with rates rising, particularly among Black women. According to NIEHS researcher Che-Jung Chang, the new study could be especially relevant to Black women because they use hair straighteners more frequently and at a younger age than people of other races.
Mitchell, who is Black, accuses L'Oreal of intentionally marketing its hair-straightening products to Black women and girls and failing to warn of risks, despite knowing that they contained potentially dangerous chemicals since at least 2015.
According to the lawsuit, the company "profited significantly" from "unethical and illegal conduct that caused plaintiff to purchase and habitually use a dangerous and defective product."