'I'm not normal anymore': Hair stylist sues companies over link between hair dye and cancer

Hector Corvera is suing beauty behemoth L'Oreal and 10 other companies.

Lawsuit alleges repeated exposure to certain carcinogenic chemicals in hair dyes caused his bladder cancer.

Hairdressing appealed to him because it would be less physical and bore the promise of cooler temperatures.

"Hair dyes are full of carcinogens," an epidemiologist says.

An aromatic amine known as 4 -ABP is a known human carcinogen that can cause bladder and liver cancer.

Commercial production of 4 -aminobiphenyl ceased in the U.S. in the 1950s due to its carcinogenicity.

The World Health Organization's cancer research wing, IARC , classified the hairdressing occupation as “probably carcinogenic to humans”.

A 2020 study published in the BMJ medical journal found that there was no positive association between personal use of permanent hair dye and risk for most cancers.

Other factors that can elevate the risk include what shade of hair dye is being used and how long someone has been dying their hair.

The FDA has faced criticism in the past for not doing more to regulate potentially harmful cosmetic products.