The Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Update and Answers

A wave of lawsuits against chemical hair relaxer brands has been building since 2022, and anyone who has filed or is wondering whether they should, can find answers right here. The latest hair relaxer lawsuit update reports more than 11,000 claims filed. Attorneys now prepare to meet key milestones for bellwether trials and motions. Read on for answers to your questions about the hair relaxer lawsuit, including what it’s about, what to expect next, and how our attorneys can help.

Plaintiffs of the Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, and Products Liability Litigation allege that chemical hair straightening products increased the risk of developing cancer, and companies failed to warn users of the potential for harm. The NIH-backed study on hair straightening chemicals and cancer risk found an association between frequent use and uterine cancer risk.

This multidistrict litigation (MDL No. 3060) has been consolidated in the U.S. District Court in Chicago, Illinois under Judge Mary M. Rowland. An MDL combines multiple cases for discovery, bellwether trials, and other processes to streamline pretrial for efficiency and potentially reduce legal fees. Unlike a class action lawsuit, an MDL allows each plaintiff to keep an individual case. The actions pending in this MDL total 11,195 as of February 2, 2026.

Several key dates have been scheduled for 2026 as the lawsuit against hair relaxer brands progresses. Notable upcoming milestones include:

• February 16, 2026: Fact discovery closes in the 32 initial bellwether discovery cases
• February 17, 2026: Position papers due for bellwether trial case selection
• February 23, 2026: Court begins selecting bellwether trial cases
• March 2, 2026: General-causation expert discovery closes
• April 1, 2026: Rule 702/Daubert motions on general causation due

You must have been a past hair relaxer user and have experienced a qualifying injury—uterine cancer, endometrial cancer, or ovarian cancer. You must also be able to demonstrate economic or non-economic damages resulting from your illness.

To see if your situation applies to the hair relaxer lawsuit, contact a products liability attorney soon to ask about filing. You may need to fill out a standardized questionnaire, known as a short-form complaint, providing case-specific information for case management.

The timeline you must file in depends on state-specific deadlines (statutes of limitations and repose). Speak to an attorney to understand which deadlines may potentially apply to your case.

• Statute of Limitations: Generally, this allows three years from the date the bodily harm became apparent or should reasonably have become apparent; latent diseases can impact this timeline.
• Statute of Repose: This is the absolute cut-off date for pursuing compensation. In North Carolina, courts generally allow 12 years from the date of purchase to pursue a product liability lawsuit, but certain conditions must be met.

Certain fact-specific circumstances can extend or reduce the timelines to file. For example, wrongful death lawsuits may observe shorter deadlines and injuries to minors may extend the time to file.

The lawsuit involves harm from no-lye relaxers, no-base relaxers, kids’ relaxers, texturizer kits, and touch-up products, and both in-home and professional salon formulas. The Complaint names many hair relaxer brands, from L’Oréal to Revlon and Strength of Nature.

Some recognizable product names on the short-form complaint include:

• Affirm
• African Pride
• Crème of Nature
• Dark and Lovely
• Just For Me
• Mizani
• Motions
• ORS Olive Oil

This list isn’t exclusive. If you’ve used a hair relaxer not listed, you may still be eligible to file a lawsuit for cancer. You can contact one of our offices for more information.

There is no set date for the lawsuit resolution, and no guarantee whether a global settlement will be reached via trial or negotiations. The hair relaxer lawsuit updates are steady, and attorneys expect progress to continue toward key milestones scheduled through 2026.

No, the litigation is still in the early stages, and none of the claims have been settled.

If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer following frequent hair relaxer use, your next step should be to gather proof for your claim and contact an attorney at Miller Law Group.

Evidence can help substantiate your history of using relevant brands and applications, confirming a related cancer diagnosis. Consult this list to begin collecting items to support a potential claim:

• Create a Timeline: Include the age you first used relaxers, frequency, location (salon or at home), and any brands you remember using, and a timeline of your health concerns.
• Documentation of Use: Gather receipts from purchases, bank statements, or online ordering records, and document any salon appointments for professional applications; also collect any photos you’ve taken during the hair relaxing process or before-and-after pictures.
• Save Labels: Take photos or screenshots of ingredient lists, packaging images, and descriptions on retailer or manufacturer websites; retain any printed inserts, instructions, ads, or other documents you still have.
• Organize Medical Records: Request your test results, scans, and other records related to your cancer diagnosis, and provide any treatment details for current and past oncology visits, surgeries, or care.
• Preserve Kits: Do not throw away any kits, applicators, inserts, or packaging you have at home.
• Request a Case Review: Even if you discover you’ve used many relaxer brands, an attorney can use your documentation to map your exposure history and the responsible parties.

If you’d like to have your hair relaxer cancer claim evaluated, the lawyers at Miller Law Group are here. We understand how these cases are handled in the MDL and which North Carolina filing deadlines may apply. Contact our team today to discuss your next steps toward resolution.