The connection between chemical hair straighteners and cancer extends beyond the uterus. Research has also linked these products to increased risk of ovarian cancer—another hormone-sensitive malignancy that disproportionately affects women who used straightening products regularly.
Ovarian cancer is particularly deadly because it's often diagnosed late, after it has already spread beyond the ovaries. Understanding how hair relaxers may contribute to this disease matters for women evaluating both their health risks and their potential legal claims.
The Research Evidence
Studies examining hair product use and ovarian cancer have found troubling associations. Research published in peer-reviewed journals has identified elevated ovarian cancer rates among women who regularly used chemical hair straighteners, with risk increasing alongside frequency and duration of use.
The same NIH Sister Study that found the uterine cancer connection also examined ovarian cancer outcomes. While the uterine cancer findings garnered the most attention, the data on ovarian cancer added to a growing body of evidence suggesting that these products affect multiple reproductive organs—consistent with what you'd expect from widespread endocrine disruption.
Earlier research had already raised concerns. Studies of hair product use in Black women found associations between long-term relaxer use and ovarian cancer risk. These findings were sometimes dismissed or minimized, but the accumulating evidence has become difficult to ignore.
How Chemicals Might Cause Ovarian Cancer
The ovaries are exquisitely sensitive to hormonal signals. They respond to circulating estrogens and other hormones as part of normal reproductive function, but this sensitivity also makes them vulnerable to disruption by chemicals that mimic or interfere with hormonal signaling.
Endocrine disruptors absorbed through the scalp during hair straightening treatments enter the bloodstream and circulate throughout the body. When these chemicals reach the ovaries, they may stimulate abnormal cell growth, interfere with normal cellular repair mechanisms, or promote the kind of genomic instability that leads to cancer.
The mechanism parallels what researchers understand about other ovarian cancer risk factors. Hormone replacement therapy, for example, is associated with increased ovarian cancer risk—likely because it exposes ovarian tissue to prolonged hormonal stimulation. Chemical hair straighteners may create similar exposures through a different route.
The Challenge of Proving Causation
Ovarian cancer is less common than uterine cancer, which makes the statistical associations harder to establish with the same degree of certainty. Smaller numbers mean wider confidence intervals and more uncertainty about the true magnitude of risk. This doesn't mean the connection isn't real—it means the evidence is still developing.
For litigation purposes, ovarian cancer cases may face somewhat higher hurdles than uterine cancer cases. The uterine cancer data from the NIH study is striking and has received significant attention. The ovarian cancer data, while concerning, hasn't achieved quite the same prominence. Attorneys evaluating hair relaxer claims will consider the strength of evidence for each cancer type when assessing individual cases.
The Broader Pattern
What makes the ovarian cancer evidence compelling isn't just the individual studies—it's the pattern they reveal. Chemical hair straighteners contain endocrine-disrupting compounds. Endocrine disruption affects hormone-sensitive tissues. The uterus and ovaries are both hormone-sensitive organs that regulate and respond to the same hormonal systems. Finding that these products are associated with both uterine and ovarian cancer strengthens the biological plausibility of both connections.
If the chemicals were harmless, you wouldn't expect to see elevated cancer rates in multiple hormone-sensitive organs among women who use them. The fact that you do see these elevations suggests the underlying mechanism is real, even if the statistical strength varies between cancer types.
What Women With Ovarian Cancer Should Know
If you developed ovarian cancer and have a history of chemical hair straightener use—particularly frequent use over many years—you may have grounds for a legal claim. The same litigation targeting manufacturers for failure to warn about cancer risks includes ovarian cancer among the alleged harms.
Your case will be evaluated based on your specific history: how long you used these products, how frequently, which products and manufacturers were involved, and when you were diagnosed. The strength of evidence linking straighteners to ovarian cancer will also factor into case assessment.
Even if the ovarian cancer connection isn't as firmly established as the uterine cancer link, it's established enough to support litigation. Manufacturers who sold products containing known endocrine disruptors without warning about reproductive cancer risks may be liable regardless of which specific cancer resulted.
Seeking Evaluation
Women with ovarian cancer who used chemical hair straighteners should consult with attorneys experienced in this litigation. Case evaluation is typically free, and attorneys can assess how the current evidence applies to your specific situation. Even if you're uncertain whether your cancer is related to hair products, having professionals review your history costs nothing and may reveal a viable claim you didn't realize you had.