Hair Relaxer Clients Share Their Stories on NBC Nightly News

“It made me feel like my womanhood was taken away.”

This month, the in-person interview with five of our hair relaxer clients aired nationally on NBC.

They shared their heartbreaking stories with the world about the devastating consequences of hair relaxer usage.

Decades of Use & Damage Caused

Our clients (Frances Walters, Marnitta Ballard, Michelle Velez, Carol Patillo, and Nina Williams) have different stories but have the same common denominator- hair relaxer usage.

• Frances shared how she needed to start using hair relaxers when she graduated college to obtain a teacher job.
• Marnitta and Michelle discussed how the surgeries to remove their cancers negatively affected their ability to have children.
• Nina and Carol talked about how they each found out about their cancer diagnosis and the necessary treatment.

When asked if they had known about the risks associated with hair relaxer usage and if they would have used them, the answer was a unanimous “No.”

Hair Relaxers & Cancer

Hair relaxers can chemically straighten hair but contain dangerous ingredients like formaldehyde, metals, parabens, phthalates, and other synthetic chemicals.

These substances can mess with our body’s hormone system and are called endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). When people use hair relaxers, these harmful chemicals are absorbed through the scalp and circulate inside the body. This can increase the risk of getting cancers that are related to hormones, like ovarian and uterine cancer.

Sounding the Alarm

These courageous women and their experiences will help highlight the risks of hair relaxers to people who weren’t aware of them or persuade those unsure about them to stop using these products. By sharing their personal stories, they’re saving the lives of others.

We continue to file lawsuits on behalf of women who regularly used hair relaxers and developed uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, or endometrial cancer after years of using hair relaxers. These five women are a perfect cross-section of the many other women whom Beasley Allen represents and who have been injured or worse by these products.

Contact us today to have your case evaluated.