Hair Relaxer Uterine Fibroids Lawsuit | 2026 Latest Updates

Women diagnosed with uterine fibroids after using chemical hair relaxers are bringing claims against L’Oreal USA, Revlon, Strength of Nature and other makers. Plaintiffs allege hormone-disrupting chemicals in the products raised the risk.

The claims sit in MDL No. 3060, a federal case in Illinois before Judge Mary M. Rowland, with 12,129 pending actions. The first bellwether trial in the MDL is set for September 7, 2027.

No court has found that relaxers cause fibroids, and the studies disagree: one reports an association and another found none for ever use.

Latest Hair Relaxer Uterine Fibroids Lawsuit Updates

October 1, 2026: Status Hearing Resolves Filing Issues

Judge Mary M. Rowland held a status hearing in MDL No. 3060 in the Northern District of Illinois, according to the court docket [1].

The parties reported complete resolution of issues on duplicate filings, short-form complaint delinquencies and compliance with Case Management Order 10-A. Defendants’ motion to strike an expert report by Dr. Schwingl was withdrawn without prejudice.

September 24, 2026: First Bellwether Trial Set for 2027

Judge Rowland set the first bellwether trial in the MDL for September 7, 2027 (docket entry 2041). She also scheduled case management conferences in 2027 before that first trial.

September 1, 2026: JPML Reports 12,129 Pending Actions

The Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation (JPML) shows 12,129 pending actions in its MDL statistics report dated September 1, 2026 [2]. It also lists 16,561 total actions since the MDL began, so some are no longer pending.

August 27, 2026: Court Adopts Bellwether Schedule

After an August 20, 2026 status hearing, Judge Rowland adopted agreed dates for the parties to submit a plan cutting the bellwether cases from ten to five by October 21, 2026. The minute entry is docket entry 2016.

August 6, 2026: FDA Formaldehyde Rule Goes to OIRA

The Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) received FDA‘s formaldehyde rule for hair smoothing and straightening products for review under Executive Order 12866, according to Reginfo.gov [3]. The review is pending.

August 3, 2026: Plaintiffs File Class Certification Replies

Plaintiffs filed replies supporting their motion to certify medical-monitoring classes in the MDL (docket entries 1993 and 1994). The original motion is docket entry 1769.

Putative class actions are part of the MDL. As of October 2, 2026, the court has not ruled on whether to certify the medical-monitoring classes.

May 5, 2026: Cross Motions on General Causation Experts

On May 5, 2026, the Strength of Nature defendants, for all defendants, filed a Rule 702 motion to exclude plaintiffs’ general causation experts (Dkt. 1828).

Plaintiffs moved to exclude specific opinions of some defense experts (Dkt. 1832). Through October 2, 2026, neither motion had been decided.

April 2, 2026: Bellwether Pool Selected

Judge Rowland selected 10 cases as the bellwether trial case pool in the MDL (Dkt. 1781). An April 22, 2026 order substituted one plaintiff (Dkt. 1809).

January 8, 2026: Science Day Held

Judge Rowland held a Science Day in the MDL (Dkt. 1664). Plaintiffs’ and defendants’ experts presented the scientific and medical issues in the litigation to the court.

November 13, 2023: Motion to Dismiss Ruling Issued

In a Memorandum Opinion and Order (Dkt. 291), Judge Rowland partly granted and partly denied the defendants’ joint motion to dismiss [4]. Negligence, strict liability and failure-to-warn claims stayed in the case.

The court dismissed the Dabur defendants and Dermoviva for lack of personal jurisdiction. It also dismissed the negligent misrepresentation, fraud and fraudulent concealment claims.

August 3, 2023: Short Form Complaint Adopted

Judge Rowland signed Case Management Order No. 7 (Dkt. 175), which adopted the Short Form Complaint. The order says the Master Complaint and the Short Form Complaint together are the operative complaint in every directly filed action [5].

The short form lists injury boxes for uterine cancer, endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. It also has an “Other injuries and/or additional details” box.

May 15, 2023: Master Long Form Complaint Filed

Plaintiffs’ Leadership filed the Master Long Form Complaint (ECF 106) in the MDL, with a sample Master Short Form Complaint. The court later accepted its allegations as true only for the motion to dismiss.

The complaint alleges that some relaxers contain phthalates and other hormone-disrupting chemicals. It says they appear as “fragrance” and “perfumes.” It alleges they enter through the hair and scalp and interfere with natural hormone production.

February 6, 2023: JPML Creates MDL No. 3060

The JPML centralized the hair relaxer actions as MDL No. 3060 before Judge Rowland, in a transfer order filed February 6, 2023 as document 134 [6].

The Panel found common questions of fact in allegations that the products contain phthalates or other endocrine-disrupting chemicals. The order lists uterine fibroids, uterine, ovarian and breast cancer and endometriosis among the alleged injuries.

October 17, 2022: NIH Announces Uterine Cancer Study

The National Institutes of Health announced an analysis of the Sister Study on uterine cancer, published the same day [7]. The JPML’s transfer order also noted the study.

What Are Uterine Fibroids?

NICHD says, “Uterine fibroids are growths made of smooth muscle cells, fibroblasts, and other material that grow in or on the wall of the uterus” [8]. They “can grow, shrink, or remain a constant size over time.”

The Office on Women’s Health says fibroids are “almost always benign (not cancerous)” [9]. It adds that “About 20 percent to 80 percent of women develop fibroids by the time they reach age 50.”

Who May Be Affected?

Women who used chemical hair relaxers and were later diagnosed with uterine fibroids may be affected. The defendants include L’Oreal USA, House of Cheatham and Revlon.

The Office on Women’s Health notes that African-American women are more likely to develop fibroids than white women. Whether a claim qualifies depends on your use history, diagnosis and records, which takes an individual legal review.

Fibroids appear in the JPML order’s list of alleged injuries. The short form complaint has no separate fibroid box. Uterine and ovarian cancer claims in the same MDL are covered on the hair relaxer cancer lawsuit page.

Reported Injuries or Damages

Most fibroids cause no symptoms, the Office on Women’s Health reports. Some women have heavy bleeding or painful periods. Fibroid claims in the lawsuits are allegations that no court has decided.

The Black Women’s Health Study (Wise et al., American Journal of Epidemiology, 2012) followed 23,580 premenopausal Black women. It confirmed 7,146 fibroid cases [10].

Ever use of relaxers had an incidence rate ratio of 1.17 (95% CI 1.06 to 1.30). The authors say the study “raises the hypothesis” of a link and cannot rule out that greater African ancestry explains it.

The Study of Environment, Lifestyle, and Fibroids (SELF) found ever use “was not appreciably associated” with fibroid incidence [11]. Recent use had a hazard ratio of 1.51. Its 95% CI of 0.94 to 2.42 includes 1.0.

A separate Sister Study looked at uterine cancer. It did not study fibroids. Its authors, writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, reported hazard ratios of 1.80 for ever use and 2.55 for frequent use [12].

In a July 21, 2023 article, Cleveland Clinic says the results “don’t conclude hair straighteners cause cancer, but they do raise questions” [13].

Recall and Regulatory Background

FDA’s smoothing page says cosmetics, including hair smoothing products, are not approved by the agency [14]. Companies are responsible for their safety and labeling.

The “Hair Dye and Hair Relaxers” page says “FDA does monitor the safety of hair dyes and relaxers” [15]. FDA’s formaldehyde rule (RIN 0910-AI83) covers smoothing products applied to the hair and heated [16].

The agenda entry does not mention lye relaxers and lists November 2026 as its target date. FDA has not published the rule in the Federal Register.

Evidence to Preserve

Keep records that show which hair relaxers you used, how often you used them, how long you used them and when fibroids were diagnosed:

• The hair relaxer boxes or containers, plus photos of the labels that show the brand and product name.
• Receipts, salon records or appointment histories that show which relaxers were used and when.
• A written timeline of your relaxer use, with brands, how often, how many years and any scalp burns.
• Photos of any scalp burns, and medical records that confirm the fibroid diagnosis, its date and treatment.
• Messages or emails with salons, stores or makers about the products 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 injury and the diagnosis happened.

Some states start the clock at diagnosis. Missing a cutoff can end a claim even when the facts are strong.

Anyone thinking about filing should talk to a lawyer promptly to learn which rule applies in their state and in their situation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Hair Relaxers Cause Uterine Fibroids?

Whether hair relaxers can cause uterine fibroids is not settled. No one knows for sure what causes fibroids. The Office on Women’s Health lists age, family history, ethnic origin, obesity and diet as risk factors.

What Does the Research Say About Hair Relaxers and Fibroids?

Research on hair relaxers and fibroids includes the Black Women’s Health Study, which found positive trends for frequency of use, duration of use and number of burns. SELF counted 149 ultrasound-detected fibroids over 3,458 person-years and lists a small sample size for some analyses as a limit.

Is There a Hair Relaxer Uterine Fibroids Lawsuit Settlement Yet?

As of October 2026, there is no hair relaxer uterine fibroids lawsuit settlement or verdict on the MDL docket. The master complaint pleads fifteen counts and seeks compensatory and punitive damages, restitution and medical monitoring.

Can Dismissed Hair Relaxer Cases Be Refiled in the MDL?

Some dismissed hair relaxer cases can be refiled in the MDL. On June 17, 2026, the court dismissed identified plaintiff cases for failing to comply with Case Management Order 9. Some of those dismissals are without prejudice, with a right to refile until December 30, 2026.

What Happens Before the First Hair Relaxer Bellwether Trial?

Before the first hair relaxer bellwether trial, case-specific expert discovery for the bellwether cases closes December 21, 2026. Motions for summary judgment and case-specific Rule 702 motions are due on January 11, 2027.

Can Fibroids Turn into Cancer?

Fibroids rarely turn into cancer. According to the Office on Women’s Health, fewer than one in 1,000 is a cancerous fibroid, called leiomyosarcoma. Having fibroids does not raise the chance of other forms of uterine cancer.

References

1. https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/66801859/in-re-hair-relaxer-marketing-sales-practices-and-products-liability/?order_by=desc
2. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/Pending_MDL_Dockets_By_Actions_Pending-September-1-2026.pdf
3. https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eoDetails?rrid=1496363
4. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_23-cv-00818/pdf/USCOURTS-ilnd-1_23-cv-00818-0.pdf
5. https://www.ilnd.uscourts.gov/_assets/_documents/_forms/_cmecf/MDL3060/CMO%20No.%207.pdf
6. https://www.jpml.uscourts.gov/sites/jpml/files/MDL-3060-Transfer_Order-1-23.pdf
7. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/hair-straightening-chemicals-associated-higher-uterine-cancer-risk
8. https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/uterine/conditioninfo
9. https://womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/uterine-fibroids
10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3282879/
11. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12849720/
12. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9949582/
13. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/uterine-cancer-hair-straighteners
14. https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetic-products/hair-smoothing-products-release-formaldehyde-when-heated
15. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/free-publications-women/hair-dye-and-hair-relaxers
16. https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/eAgendaViewRule?pubId=202510&RIN=0910-AI83