Hair Straightener Lawsuit

Attorneys have been instructed to submit lists of potential lawsuits to be selected as one of the three bellwether cases chosen by Judge Rowland, with the trials themselves said to begin in 2027. Judge Rowland has also set new deadlines to move the case closer to upcoming bellwether trials. Fact discovery is ongoing but must conclude by mid-March.

The case is moving forward with Judge Rowland presiding over a Science Day on January 8^th that allowed each side to explain the complex scientific and medical issues underpinning the litigation to the judge.

In December 2025, the Hair Relaxer Liability MDL grew to 10,844 active cases. Judge Rowland has scheduled a Science Day in January 2026 to review each side’s scientific evidence.

As of October 2025, the chemical hair relaxers multidistrict litigation has 10,552 active cases. Also in October, the Georgia Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that previously blocked a woman from pursuing her lawsuits against two beauty care companies over health problems she claims are tied to chemical hair relaxers.

In September 2025, the MDL grew to about 10,858 pending cases, reflecting continued monthly increases in filings. In the September 18, 2025, Interim Joint Status Report, the parties updated the Court on ongoing discovery disputes involving deadlines and providing disclosures.

In August, the Hair Relaxer MDL now includes approximately 10,567 active cases, marking an increase of 285 cases as filings continue to grow steadily. Discovery continues with the court setting a deadline of August 28 for parties to submit a joint status report.

In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas has consolidated around 25 related lawsuits into a unified mass tort program at the state level. Similar efforts are underway in Georgia and New York state courts. Meanwhile, the main federal MDL is steadily advancing in the Northern District of Illinois and currently includes 10,317 pending cases.

The Plaintiff Steering Committee has served more than 120 additional discovery requests on the Second Wave Defendants since February 2025 and continues to engage in meet-and-confer sessions to finalize a discovery response schedule, with deadlines now set through September 2025.

The latest order in the multi-district litigation establishes a comprehensive bellwether selection process where plaintiffs and defendants will each select 20 cases by April 30, 2025, ultimately narrowing to 32 initial cases and later 10 trial cases, with specific eligibility requirements and deadlines for discovery extending into late 2026.

Motions to dismiss from John Paul Mitchell Systems, Wella, and Advanced Beauty were denied by the Judge, keeping them in the MDL. Hair stylists and cosmetologists are emerging as some of the strongest plaintiffs due to daily exposure and significant financial losses.  In early February, the court set a clear MDL schedule; however, bellwether trials are unlikely before 2027.

The Food and Drug Administration’s proposed formaldehyde ban in hair straightening products is up in the air after a Trump Administration executive order paused federal regulations. The MDL now includes 9,819 cases, with 170 added in December, and bellwether trial proposals from both sides are under review. The court addressed ongoing disputes over Revlon’s discovery responses, requiring clarification on product identities by February 18, 2025.

Discovery disputes have escalated in the Hair Relaxer MDL, with plaintiffs accusing defendants of withholding critical information and data, failing to meet court-ordered deadlines, and stalling the bellwether case selection process while defendants assert good faith compliance. The court’s order on December 30, 2024, requires defendants to produce discovery relevant to their net worth and related financial information pertinent to punitive damages.

The MDL grew in November, with 161 new cases added, bringing the total to 9,649. Judge Rowland rejected Revlon’s motion to dismiss certain cancer-related lawsuits, determining it was too severe to dismiss claims with prejudice for those without a confirmed diagnosis at the time of filing and granting them six months to refile after receiving a diagnosis. The next status conference is scheduled for December 12, 2024, at 9:30 a.m. CT.

As of October 1, 2024, the In re: Hair Relaxer Marketing, Sales Practices, And Products Liability Litigation has 8,393 cases pending after dropping 98 cases in September. There are currently two bellwether trials planned for the MDL: the first trial is scheduled to start on November 3, 2025, and the second on February 2, 2026.

On September 30, 2024, plaintiffs filed a motion to compel defendant Strength of Nature to produce non-privileged documents related to a “uterine study,” which the company had agreed to provide in July but has since withheld. On September 27, 2024, the court largely denied the defendant’s motion to dismiss, allowing claims for economic losses and medical monitoring costs due to cancer risks to proceed. In mid-September, plaintiffs continued discovery battles, including a push for defendant L’Oréal USA to comply with document production orders.

A case management conference occurred on August 29^th, 2024, with a joint status report submitted on August 22^nd. The report discussed the current state of various motions and briefs, updates on defendant-specific discovery issues, electronic discovery (ESI) progress, plaintiff medical records collection efforts, an update on the NIH third-party subpoena, and the status of related state court actions. The MDL remains steady with over 8,200 cases, although new filings have slowed.

In mid-July, a Joint ESI Discovery Status Report on Search Methodology was submitted to the court describing ongoing negotiations between plaintiffs and defendants on search methodologies for electronic document production in the MDL. Plaintiffs have asked several defendants to produce and review documents identified by agreed search terms immediately to limit any further delays.

On May 8^th, the Food and Drug Administration missed its deadline to propose a ban on the use of formaldehyde in hair relaxers and straighteners in U.S. markets. The total number of MDL pending cases, which largely excludes non-cancer injuries, is now 8,170.