HAIR RELAXER GUIDE · FIBROIDS
Hair Relaxers and Fibroids
Last updated: September 6, 2026
Nearly all the coverage is about cancer. Fibroids are a different condition, and women who used relaxers ask about them too. Some research has looked at a possible connection. There is also a practical point worth knowing early: fibroid claims are treated differently in the lawsuits than cancer claims.
For the cancer side of this topic, see Does Hair Relaxer Cause Cancer?
This page provides general educational information only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. Discuss any diagnosis or symptom with a qualified medical professional.
- Some studies found more fibroids among women who used relaxers. Causation is not established.
- Fibroids are extremely common, which makes any single cause hard to pick out.
- The suggested explanation is the same as for the cancer research: hormone-disrupting chemicals.
- The federal litigation is built on cancer. Fibroid claims are handled separately.
What Fibroids Are
Fibroids are growths in or on the uterus. They are not cancer.
They can cause heavy bleeding, pelvic pain or a feeling of pressure, though plenty of women have them and never know. They are also very common, especially during the childbearing years, and that matters for the research: when something happens to most people anyway, showing that one particular thing made it more likely is hard.
What the Research Has Looked At
Some studies, including work focused on Black women, who use these products most, have asked whether relaxer use goes with a higher rate of fibroids.
As with the cancer research, what they found is a pattern rather than proof. The sheer commonness of fibroids makes that pattern harder to read than it would be for a rare condition. The wider research picture is on The Hair Relaxer Cancer Studies, Explained.
Why It Might Work That Way
The same reasoning as the cancer side. Some products contain chemicals that interfere with hormones, including certain phthalates, parabens, and preservatives that release formaldehyde. Fibroid growth responds to hormones, so that is the proposed connection.
It is a research question, not a settled answer.
Linked To Is Not Caused By
This applies with extra force here. Fibroids are common and many things influence them, so a pattern in a study cannot tell you what caused yours. Only a doctor who knows your history can take that question anywhere useful.
How Fibroid Claims Fit the Lawsuits
This is the practical part. The federal cases are built on uterine, endometrial and ovarian cancer, where the evidence is strongest.
Fibroid claims are generally handled separately, often in state court, and how they are treated depends on the facts and on the law where you live. If you are wondering whether a fibroid history fits anywhere, that is a question for a lawyer rather than a web page. See Hair Relaxer Cancer Lawsuit and Hair Relaxer Lawsuit Updates.
What This Means for You
For the health question, start with your doctor. For the legal one, a case review can tell you how fibroid claims are being treated at the moment, which is not the same as the cancer claims.
Used chemical hair relaxers and later diagnosed with a related condition? A free, no-obligation case review on Lawsuit Center can help you understand how different claim types are currently being handled.
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