Hair Relaxer Endometriosis Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Women allege that chemical hair relaxers caused or raised the risk of endometriosis, uterine fibroids and uterine, ovarian or breast cancer. The defendants, including L’Oreal USA, dispute the claims. The claims are pending in MDL No. 3060, a multidistrict litigation in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois. Judge Mary M. Rowland oversees the 12,129 pending actions. The cases are in the pretrial stage. Trial of the first bellwether case is scheduled for September 7, 2027. As of October 2026, no settlement or verdict has been reported.

Latest Hair Relaxer Endometriosis Lawsuit Updates

October 1, 2026: Status Hearing Resolves Filing and Compliance Issues

Judge Mary M. Rowland held a status hearing in MDL No. 3060 on October 1, 2026 [1]. The parties reported that issues over duplicate filings, late plaintiff forms and compliance with Case Management Order 10-A were resolved. Defendants withdrew a motion to strike an expert report of Dr. Schwingl. The withdrawal was without prejudice and by agreement. A court call hearing is set for October 7, 2026.

September 24, 2026: Court Sets First Bellwether Trial for September 7, 2027

Judge Rowland of the Northern District of Illinois set the first bellwether trial for September 7, 2027. The court also set eight case management conferences before that trial. They run from January 28, 2027 through August 26, 2027.

September 11, 2026: Arizona Attorney General Sues L’Oreal over Hair Relaxers

Courthouse News reported that Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced a consumer fraud lawsuit against L’Oreal USA and SoftSheen-Carson in Maricopa County [2]. The complaint is dated September 10, 2026. The State alleges the Dark and Lovely, Optimum and Mizani relaxers were sold without disclosing increased risks of uterine and ovarian cancer. L’Oreal says the studies “made no finding of a causal connection.” The complaint does not mention endometriosis.

August 27, 2026: Court Adopts Schedule to Narrow the Bellwether Pool

The court adopted agreed dates to cut the bellwether pool from ten cases to five. This followed a status hearing on August 20, 2026. Defendants’ expert reports on the five cases were due September 25, 2026. Plaintiffs’ rebuttal reports are due October 13, 2026. Expert discovery for the five cases closes December 21, 2026.

May 5, 2026: Both Sides File Motions to Exclude Causation Experts

The plaintiffs and the defendants each filed Rule 702 motions. Each side asked the court to exclude the other side’s general causation experts. Strength of Nature filed its motion for all defendants. As of October 2, 2026, the court has not ruled on either motion.

April 2, 2026: Court Selects 10 Bellwether Cases

Judge Rowland selected 10 cases as the bellwether trial case pool in MDL No. 3060. An order on April 22, 2026 substituted one plaintiff in the pool.

January 8, 2026: Court Holds Science Day

Judge Rowland held a Science Day in MDL No. 3060. Plaintiffs’ experts and defendants’ experts presented the scientific and medical issues in the litigation to the court.

November 13, 2023: Court Rules on the Motion to Dismiss

Judge Rowland ruled on the defendants’ joint motion to dismiss. The judge granted it in part and denied it in part, in a Memorandum Opinion and Order [3]. The negligence, strict liability design defect and failure-to-warn claims remain in place. The court dismissed certain defendants for lack of personal jurisdiction.

August 3, 2023: Court Adopts the Short Form Complaint

Judge Rowland signed Case Management Order No. 7 on August 3, 2023 [4]. The order adopted the Short Form Complaint for the MDL. The form has injury boxes for uterine cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. It also has a box for “Other injuries and/or additional details.”

May 15, 2023: Master Long Form Complaint Filed in the MDL

The plaintiffs’ leadership team filed the Master Long Form Complaint in the MDL. A sample Master Short Form Complaint came with it. The complaint pleads fifteen counts. It asks for damages, restitution, medical monitoring and equitable relief. The damages are compensatory and punitive.

February 6, 2023: Panel Centralizes the Cases as MDL No. 3060

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation centralized the hair relaxer actions as MDL No. 3060 in a Transfer Order. The cases went to Judge Rowland in the Northern District of Illinois [5]. The Panel found the actions share common questions of fact about the alleged harm from relaxer chemicals. Defendants opposed centralization.

October 17, 2022: NIH Announces Uterine Cancer Study

The National Institutes of Health announced a Sister Study analysis on October 17, 2022. It was published the same day in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute [6, 7]. Women who often used chemical hair straightening products had more than twice the rate of uterine cancer (hazard ratio 2.55). Often meant more than four times in the previous year.

What Is Endometriosis?

According to NICHD, endometriosis is a disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in the body [8]. Surgery is currently the only way to confirm a diagnosis. NICHD calls it one of the most common gynecological diseases. It says the exact cause remains unknown. Its research examines inflammation, epigenetics, genetics, hormonally active environmental contaminants and other mechanisms as possible causes [9].

Who May Be Affected?

Women who used chemical hair relaxers or straighteners over time and were later diagnosed with uterine, endometrial or ovarian cancer or endometriosis match the injuries named in the MDL. The court’s Short Form Complaint has no separate endometriosis box. Only an individual legal review can say whether one person’s use history, diagnosis and records fit a claim. The MDL pleadings allege the companies marketed the products to Black and Brown women and girls. Our hair relaxer lawsuit page covers the wider litigation. The Short Form Complaint lists these products for plaintiffs to select. It is a checklist and not a finding about any product:

• L’Oreal USA and SoftSheen-Carson: Optimum Salon Haircare Defy Breakage No-Lye Relaxer and Mizani Butter Blend Relaxer
• L’Oreal USA and SoftSheen-Carson: Bantu No Base Relaxer and Dark and Lovely Beautiful Beginnings No-Mistake Smooth Relaxer
• Revlon: the African Pride and Creme of Nature products listed on the form
• Strength of Nature: the African Pride and Dream Kids products listed on the form
• Namaste Laboratories: the ORS Olive Oil and ORS HAIRepair products listed on the form

Reported Injuries or Damages

Plaintiffs allege that chemicals in some relaxers, including phthalates and other endocrine-disrupting chemicals, enter the body through the hair and scalp. The Panel listed the alleged injuries as “uterine, ovarian, or breast cancer, endometriosis, uterine fibroids, or other injuries to the reproductive system.” No court has ruled that any product caused any injury. In October 2022, Jenny Mitchell sued L’Oreal and four other companies in federal court. The Washington Post reported that she alleges straighteners she used since grade school caused her uterine cancer [10]. The NIH-led Sister Study estimated that by age 70, uterine cancer would develop in 4.05% of frequent users and 1.64% of never users. Its authors called it “the first epidemiologic evidence of association” and said “More research is warranted.” A separate Sister Study analysis of hairdressers found higher rates of endometriosis in ever-hairdressers (hazard ratio 1.61) [11]. That finding concerns hairdressers at work. The MDL court cites the White Article, a 2021 Sister Study analysis that associated frequent straightener or relaxer use with ovarian cancer [12]. The NIH uterine cancer study, the Panel’s order and the court’s short form report no link between consumer relaxer use and endometriosis.

Recall and Regulatory Background

FDA says it does not approve cosmetics. Companies are “responsible for the safety and labeling of their products and ingredients.” FDA also says most hair smoothing products release formaldehyde gas. It calls formaldehyde “a known human carcinogen” [13]. FDA’s proposed rule would prohibit formaldehyde and formaldehyde-releasing chemicals in heated smoothing products. The Federal Register has not published it, so no ban exists. The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs received it on August 6, 2026 [14].

Evidence to Preserve

Keep these items and records. They show which relaxers you used, how often you used them and what medical care followed:

• Relaxer boxes or containers, and photos of the labels showing the brand and product name
• Receipts, salon records or appointment records showing which relaxers were used and when
• A written timeline of your relaxer use, with the brands, how often and for how many years
• Photos of the products and of any scalp burns, with the dates the photos were taken
• Medical records showing your endometriosis diagnosis, its date, imaging, surgery and treatment
• Any messages with salons, stores or makers about the relaxers you used

Filing Deadlines

Deadlines to file a claim over a hair relaxer injury come from state law. They depend on where you live and when the exposure, the illness or injury and the diagnosis happened. Some states start the clock at diagnosis, and a missed deadline can end a claim even when the facts are strong. The court’s December 31, 2026 date applies to certain dismissals for non-compliance, which become dismissals with prejudice. It is not a claim deadline. Talk to a lawyer promptly about the deadline that applies to you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Hair Relaxers Cause Endometriosis?

Courts have not decided whether hair relaxers cause endometriosis. In the litigation it appears only as an alleged injury. Plaintiffs in the MDL say relaxer chemicals injured users, and the defendants dispute the claims.

Is There a Class Action Lawsuit for Hair Relaxers?

Yes, putative class actions are part of the hair relaxer MDL. Plaintiffs asked the court to certify medical-monitoring classes. Through October 2026, the court has issued no ruling on class certification.

Did the NIH Study Identify Which Hair Relaxer Brands Raised Risk?

The NIH study did not identify which hair relaxer brands raised risk. Researchers did not collect information on brands or ingredients. The study followed 33,947 women for an average of 10.9 years and counted 378 uterine cancer cases.

Has a Hair Relaxer Settlement Been Reached?

A hair relaxer settlement has not been reached. As of October 2026, no settlement, verdict or trial result has been reported in MDL No. 3060. The court has not announced which bellwether case will go first, and a joint submission on the five-case pool order is due October 21, 2026.

What Does the Research Say About Hair Relaxers and Reproductive Health?

Research on hair relaxers and reproductive health includes a 2021 Sister Study analysis of 40,559 women. Frequent use, meaning more than four times a year, was associated with ovarian cancer (hazard ratio 2.19).

References

1. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66801859/in-re-hair-relaxer-marketing-sales-practices-and-products-liability/?order_by=desc
2. https://www.courthousenews.com/articles/arizona-sues-loreal-for-failing-to-disclose-cancer-risks-associated-with-hair-relaxers
3. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_23-cv-00818/pdf/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_23-cv-00818-0.pdf
4. https://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/_assets/_documents/_forms/_cmecf/MDL3060/CMO%20No.%207.pdf
5. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-3060-Transfer_Order-1-23.pdf
6. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-higher-uterine-cancer-risk
7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9949582/
8. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/endometriosis
9. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/endometri/researchinfo
10. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/10/27/loreal-lawsuit-hair-straightener-relaxer/
11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13000904/
12. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8561257/
13. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/hair-dye-and-hair-relaxers
14. https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=1496363