Revlon Inc. is grappling with a growing number of allegations that some of its hair products cause cancer as the cosmetics company looks to exit chapter 11 protection, Bloomberg News reported. Thousands of consumers are alleging Revlon owes them money because they used the company’s hair relaxer products and later developed cancer. But a deadline to formally lodge such claims against the bankrupt company elapsed in October — just after the National Institutes of Health published a study showing a correlation between some chemical hair relaxers and uterine cancer. On Tuesday, Revlon’s bankruptcy judge extended the deadline by which customers with certain types of cancer can file claims against the company. They now have until April 11, which will also allow them to vote on the bankrupt company’s restructuring plan later this month. “What we’ve got here in my view is a mass tort in the making,” said Sander Esserman, an attorney who spoke on behalf of various cancer claimant groups during the Tuesday bankruptcy hearing. “It’s a dynamic situation, and there will no doubt be many cases in the future as they continue to market and the women develop various forms of cancers that are contestable.” Robert Britton, an attorney representing Revlon, said the company disputes any link between cancer and its hair relaxer products. He added that the exponential growth of claims in a matter of weeks suggests that more vetting of the claimants might be needed.
