Women consider their hair their crowning glory, so imagine how they felt when the hair product they were using to achieve beautiful locks was actually doing the opposite.
That’s the very dilemma some women who used hair conditioner WEN by Chaz Dean are facing now.
Promising to clean the hair without the harshness of shampoo, WEN’s cleansing conditioner is a product of Hollywood hair stylist Chaz Dean, whose A-list clientele includes Brooke Shields, Alyssa Milano, and Christina Applegate.
The hair product’s side effects first came to light after bad reviews of it surfaced online, and soon other women found out they weren’t alone.
Now these women have decided to take things further.
According to a TODAY report, “two hundred people have joined a class-action lawsuit against hair care brand WEN by Chaz Dean and its parent company, Guthy-Renker, claiming the brand's popular products contributed to their extreme hair loss.”
Their complaints also mentioned that the hair product contributed to hair breakage, dryness, and other injuries and adverse effects.
“My hair was coming out in clumps in my hands as I washed and rinsed it," one review said. "I would have a palm full of hair.”
Other women uploaded their own photos, showing bald spots on their head and clumps of fallen hair from the sink.
The complaints allege that the hair product contains “one or more active ingredients that act as a depilatory or caustic agent, causing a chemical reaction that damages the hair strands and/or follicle."
It is unclear, however, which ingredient that is exactly.
Dermatologist Doris Day even said that the adverse effects of using the conditioner may be from a corrupt batch or improperly stored products.
Either way, more testing needs to be done to reveal the root cause of the problem.
In response to these complaints, the FDA is now launching an investigation into the product. According to an FDA statement, the 21,000 complaints have been the largest number of reports associated with a hair-cleansing product.
Meanwhile, Chaz Dean, Inc. and Gunther Renker, LLC have issued a statement addressing this issue to TODAY.
It says:
“The Wen by Chaz Dean family cares deeply about everyone's hair health. We encourage people who inquire about any hair issues to seek qualified medical assistance because it is a complex topic.
“WEN® by Chaz Dean is safe, and millions of bottles have been sold over the last 16 years. We have consistently cooperated with the FDA and will continue to do so. We love our brand and our customers.
“Through this experience, we have learned that there is an immediate need for more education about hair health and common hair concerns in the industry, unrelated to Wen.
“There is no evidence that WEN products cause hair loss and the ingredients and formulations meet or exceed safety and quality standards set by the cosmetics industry. We stand behind them.”
Photo credit: Buzzfeed
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