When it comes to our hair, women do their very best to make sure their hair stays healthy and looking beautiful. Just recently WEN hair products came under fire when a group of 200 women in 40 states sued the owners, claiming that the sulfate-free cleansing conditioner made them bald! They took to social media, where many other customers had similar complaints, while the other half raved about the Wen products.
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The lawsuit claims that WEN products “contain one or more active ingredients that act as depilatory or caustic agent, causing a chemical reaction that damages the hair strand and or follicle.” They continue by saying that the conditioner is causing severe and possibly permanent damage to their hair, including hair loss, bald spots, hair breakage, scalp irritation, and rash.
In an interview with Health, Dr. Mary Gail Mercurio, MD, Professor of Dermatology, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry says that there isn’t an ingredient listed that works as a depilatory.
WEN says: “We have great sympathy for anyone experiencing hair loss or scalp issues, but there is no scientific evidence that points to the WEN brand as the cause.”
Dr. Gail says that there could be a variety of reasons why these women are losing their hair and that the photos they’ve posted online would suggest different types of hair loss. “ If the product contained a depilatory or caustic ingredient as suggested, the hair loss would not impact just a subset of women who used the product. Any hair loss process that causes scarring of the hair follicle would first have to damage the overlying skin to an obvious and significant extent,” she says.
There are a variety of different causes why women lose their hair, such as:
- Genetics
- Hormonal changes
- Pregnancy
- Overusing hair dryers or curling irons
It will be difficult for these women to win this lawsuit because thanks to lax regulations in the beauty industry, since it’s often up to brands to do their own testing on the ingredients their products contain. Plus the possibility that these women might suffer from underlying health problems will also come into question.
For future reference, it’s important to do a patch test when trying on a new product. Apply the product on your skin on your arm and see if you have a reaction.