If you’ve ever used Wen haircare products, you’ll know how amazing your hair looks and feels after using it. But some say that look came at a price and that price was baldness.
More than 200 women in 40 different states claimed that Wen’s cleansing conditioners caused them hair loss, breakage, balding, irritation and rashes.
According to the Daily Mail, the case was settled for $26 million. However, the FDA is still investigating the more than 1,300 consumer reports on the negative effects of Wen’s cleansing conditioners. TODAY reports that there were up to 21,000 complaints about Chaz Dean, Inc. and Gunther Renker, LLC in total.
According to the FDA, Guthy Renker stated that since 2011, at least 66 percent of people that reported only hair loss did so after using the Sweet Almond Mint conditioner.
Here’s the complaint breakdown for their conditioners:
- Sweet Almond Mint- 5,689 complaints
- Lavender- 2,537 complaints
- Pomegranate – 1,542 complaints
The photos that were submitted during the lawsuit to show the adverse effects of the products were out some our worse nightmares showing large swaths of the scalp that suddenly became bald without warning.
The consumer complaints were even scarier.
“My hair was coming out in clumps in my hands as I washed and rinsed it,” one reviewer wrote, according to TODAY. “I would have a palm full of hair
“[Hair] was healthy, now it’s like straw and brittle,” said another consumer, according to People.
“Almost immediately after using the product I noticed huge amounts of hair caught in the drain,” said another.
Some even took to social media to post their “after” photos.
“Thank you Wen… for making my hair fall out,” one Twitter user wrote.
The FDA says they were unable to determine why these reactions occurred and further cosmetic companies aren’t legally obligated to share their safety date or consumer complaints with the FDA.
Am I the only one who feels like the FDA needs to up their game when it comes to this?
Isn’t making sure companies don’t harm us with their products their job? Some experts said that the Wen conditioners contain chemicals that are banned in Europe and cause adverse reactions when left on for a prolonged period of time.
“From what we understand about the product and how it causes hair loss is it contains virtually no cleanser,” attorney Amy Davis told CBS Los Angeles when the initial lawsuit was filed. “It’s like using lotion to wash your hair. So instead of removing the product when you rinse it off, it just becomes impacted in your hair follicle.”
Other theories say that there were a few bad batches of the products that were shipped out. Other experts have said that some of the pictures from the lawsuit seem to show typical of female pattern hair loss and alopecia areata.
“What most people do not know is that hair loss is more common in females than many realize,” said Dr. Anthony Rossi, a New York City-based dermatologist told Daily Mail. “As dermatologists, we see many women who are experiencing hair loss due to a variety of conditions but most are not seeing a dermatologist for their hair loss, which leads them to try and find their own answers.”
The celebrity endorsed hair care company, however, continues to maintain that their products are safe and do not cause baldness or hair loss.
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