A federal court has ruled that a proposed class action lawsuit against major hair relaxer manufacturers, including L'Oreal USA and Revlon, can proceed, rejecting motions to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland of Illinois ruled that the lawsuit, which alleges that chemical hair relaxers sold by these companies are linked to an increased risk of cancer, has sufficient grounds to move forward.

The lawsuit, which seeks both economic and punitive damages as well as medical monitoring for those at heightened risk, targets hair relaxer products marketed predominantly to women of color. The class action follows a National Institutes of Health study that revealed frequent users of these products are more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer. In addition to claims for those diagnosed with uterine or ovarian cancer, the lawsuit also seeks medical monitoring for consumers who used the products frequently but have not been diagnosed with cancer.

Both L'Oreal and Revlon have denied the claims, asserting that their products are safe, but Judge Rowland cited evidence of negligence and failure to adequately warn consumers as reasons to allow the lawsuit to proceed. This ruling is part of broader litigation involving over 8,500 related lawsuits, signaling potential significant legal and financial repercussions for the companies involved.