Burg Simpson is investigating legal claims on behalf of African American women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer after using dark shades of hair dye.
Roughly one-third of all women use hair dyes. Hair dyes are known to contain thousands of different chemicals. For decades, health experts have feared that some of these chemicals may cause serious health effects in women. Most of the studies that were conducted, however, did not include any analysis by race, and many only included white women. It was not until recently that researchers studied the cancer risk hair dyes may pose to African-American women. The results of these studies demonstrate a strong association between breast cancer and the use of dark shades of hair dye by African-American women.
Research Shows Dark Hair Dye Use in African American Women is Associated with an Increased Risk of Breast Cancer
In 2017, Adana Llanos – an epidemiologist with the Rutgers School of Public Health – published a study in the journal Carcinogenesis, titled “Hair product use and breast cancer risk among African American and White women.” This was the “first complete evaluation of associations between several hair products and breast cancer risk” in African American women. This study found that African American women who used dark hair dye shades had 51% increased risk of developing breast cancer when compared to African American women who did not use hair dye. The study further found that more frequent use of hair dye and dark shades of hair dye were associated with increased breast cancer risk in African American women. The results of a second study published two years later further support Llanos’s findings.
The National Institute of Health (NIH) sponsored a study published in December 2019 to research the possible health risks of hair dyes. The NIH study focused on the potential risk of breast cancer from the use of hair dyes and chemical straighteners. More than 46,000 women participated. The researchers separated data into two categories: “Non-Hispanic White” and “Black.” The researchers found that black women who used permanent hair dye within the last year were 45 percent more likely to develop breast cancer than black women who had not used hair dye. The risk was even higher for those who used darker colors or who dyed their hair more frequently. African-American women who used only dark colored dye had a 51 percent higher risk of breast cancer compared to non-users. African-American women who dyed their hair every 5-8 weeks had a 60 percent greater risk of breast cancer than African American women who did not dye their hair.
The results of these studies must be taken seriously. Researchers report that the mortality rate among African-American women with breast cancer is 40 percent higher than for white women. In addition, African-American women are more likely to be diagnosed with more aggressive types of cancer. Therefore, as noted in the NIH study, the findings of an increased breast cancer risk for black women using permanent hair dye has “the potential for substantial public health impact.”
Burg Simpson Fights for Women Injured By Harmful Products
Burg Simpson has a reputation for standing with and fighting for women who have been injured by dangerous products. Burg Simpson’s attorneys have served as lead counsel in nationwide litigation and successfully taken on the largest manufacturers in the world. Through their efforts, Burg Simpson has helped thousands of women receive compensation for injuries they or their families suffered after using birth control products, birth-defect-causing drugs, and other defective products. They can help you too.
If you or a loved one used permanent hair dye and were diagnosed with breast cancer, contact one of Burg Simpson’s nationally recognized product liability attorneys in Cincinnati today.
Call us at (513) 852-5600 or fill out our Free Case Evaluation form to get started with your potential claim.
