Arizona accuses L’Oréal of concealing cancer risks linked to hair relaxers

Democratic attorney general seeks damages and penalties in legal action that echoes thousands of similar suits

Arizona has sued L'Oreal that the French cosmetics company hid evidence that its hair relaxer products could cause cancer in women - echoing thousands of similar lawsuits from users and their families.

Arizona attorney general Kristin Mayes, a Democrat, filed the lawsuit late on Thursday in state court. The lawsuit makes Arizona the first state to sue over alleged cancer risks linked to hair relaxers. It also alleges that L'Oreal is violating state consumer protection laws by marketing the hair relaxer products that are used predominantly by African American women without warning consumers about the alleged risks of ovarian and uterine cancers.