Hair Dye Lawsuits: Cancer Risks & Legal Claims Against Manufacturers

People are filing hair dye lawsuits alleging that the manufacturers failed to warn users about the potentially serious health risks that may result from repeated exposure.

Litigation is in the early stages and primarily focuses on cosmetologists, stylists and other hair care professionals who work around these chemicals daily.

Lawsuits claim that these workers have an increased risk of developing cancer due to their regular exposure to hair dye products from major brands like L’Oréal and Clairol.

The Link Between Hair Dye and Cancer

Hair dye lawsuits allege that popular hair dye products continue to include ingredients that studies have linked to cancer.

These ingredients are known as aromatic amines, a group of compounds sometimes used in hair dyes to create a new color through chemical reactions with hydrogen peroxide.

According to the American Cancer Society, certain aromatic amines were found to cause cancer in lab animals as early as the 1970s. At that time, several countries banned aromatic amines in hair dye products.

However, NBC News reported that researchers and doctors have said potentially harmful aromatic amines like 4-ABP are still included in some hair dyes. Lawsuits also claim these carcinogens are still present in hair dyes and have caused cancer in people exposed to them.

Allegations Against Hair Dye Companies

Lawsuits claim that certain hair dye manufacturers didn’t tell users about the potential cancer risks linked to their products. Warnings were not included in any advertising, marketing or product packaging.

Other allegations include claims that companies designed and sold dangerous products to consumers.

“Defendants knew or should have known that the occupational use of their hair dye products —by professional hair stylists, in particular —significantly increases the risk of developing severe and/or life threatening health conditions,” a lawsuit filed on behalf of cosmetologist Debra Matarazzo stated.

Matarazzo worked at a salon in New Jersey for over a decade, applying hair dye to customers as often as 100 times per week. She was eventually diagnosed with bladder cancer.

You might be eligible to file a hair dye lawsuit if you were diagnosed with bladder cancer or another form of cancer after regular, long-term exposure to hair dye products.

Lawsuits that have been filed mostly focus on cosmetologists and other hair professionals who experienced repeated, daily exposure to these products.

According to the American Cancer Society, some research has also connected hair dye exposure to forms of cancer like leukemia, non-Hodgkin lymphoma and breast cancer.

Evidence Needed to File a Hair Dye Lawsuit

The evidence required to file a hair dye lawsuit will vary between claims, but it will be helpful to have documentation of your cancer diagnosis. This could include medical records, treatment notes or a letter from your doctor.

You will likely also need to verify that you were regularly exposed to hair dye. This may involve documentation of your employment or the work you did that would have exposed you to specific hair dyes. It could also include which products you used.

If you are not sure how to gather the necessary evidence or what documentation you need, a lawyer can help.

Several hair dye manufacturers and products are named in the lawsuits that have been filed, with some of the biggest brands in the industry listed as defendants.

Lawsuits claim these companies knew about but failed to warn customers of the potential health risks posed by exposure to these products.

L’Oréal Lawsuits

L’Oréal is among the most popular hair dye manufacturers and has been at the center of some hair dye lawsuits.

Matarazzo’s lawsuit claims that the defendants’ hair dye products contain 4-ABP and other dangerous aromatic amines. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, which is part of the World Health Organization, classified 4-ABP as a human carcinogen.

The company acknowledges on its website that it uses PPD, a type of aromatic amine, in its products. Lawsuits claim that PPD is “highly relevant” to bladder cancer since it is toxic to certain types of cells that line the bladder.

However, L’Oréal says it uses PPD in its products at well below the authorized level of 2%.

Clairol Lawsuits

Clairol, whose innovative marketing played a major role in first popularizing hair dye in the U.S. decades ago, is named as a defendant in litigation.

Matarazzo’s lawsuit claims that the company prioritizes its bottom line, even as awareness increases that hair dyes may contain carcinogenic chemicals.

“Many stylists, unaware of the scientifically established links between prolonged dye exposure and bladder cancer, continue to apply these products daily, unknowingly increasing their risk of developing bladder cancer,” states Matarazzo’s lawsuit.

Wella, which owns Clairol, is also a defendant in the litigation.

You can start the process of filing a hair dye lawsuit by signing up for a free case review via Consumer Notice. We can connect you with an experienced product liability attorney who will help you determine if you are eligible to file a lawsuit.

If you aren’t sure you have enough evidence of your claims, a product liability attorney can identify the information you need and help you compile evidence.

Current lawsuits seek several types of damages, including economic, medical and punitive damages.

Hair dye lawsuits are in the early stages of litigation. There have been no major settlements or verdicts yet.

Lawyers are continuing to investigate and accept new cases. People who developed cancer after working around hair dye are most likely to be at the center of the legal process.

Similar litigation further involves chemical hair relaxers sold by some of the same defendants in the hair dye lawsuits. Thousands of hair relaxer lawsuits claiming that these products cause certain cancers have been consolidated before one judge.

The new hair dye lawsuits could follow a similar path if several cases sharing similarities are filed.