In a class-action lawsuit filed in November, more than 200 women are claiming that the celebrity endorsed Wen Hair Care products caused “their hair to fall out in clumps.” The women are suing both Wen and their infamous marketing agency, Guthy-Renker.
I am sure you have all seen the infomercials on T.V., with Alyssa Milano and Brooke Shields, selling the hair care line that celebrity hairstylist, Chaz Dean, created. The commercials proclaim that only after one use, you will have the “healthiest, shiniest, most beautiful hair you’ve had in your life” –all for the introductory price of $29.95. This video is from an infomercial Wen put out last year:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0-xOMcIua-4&w=560&h=315]
Their infomercials have proven to be a great success, reportedly producing $100 million in sales in only their second year.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit complain that shortly after buying the product, they allegedly began noticing drying, thinning, and/or large clumps of hair falling out.
Amy Friedman, the lead plaintiff, claimed she purchased Wen’s Sweet Almond Mint basic kit in January 2014. After two weeks of using Wen, she is alleging that she lost “‘one quarter to one third’ of her hair.”
Attorneys for the plaintiffs are arguing that,
“WEN products at issue contain a caustic ingredient that causes a chemical reaction and damages hair and follicles..[as well as] numerous harsh chemicals and known human allergens.”
The attorneys, however, left out of their claim which ingredients may have triggered the alleged reactions.
With 200 plaintiffs already apart of the class, Friedman, her attorney, and other plaintiffs believe that there are possibly at least thousands more who could sue Wen.
If you go to Wen’s Facebook page, other allegations are already springing up as complaints are flooding Wen’s visitor post stream.
Along with all the current complaints, there are also many women praising the company and professing they will be life-long users of Wen’s products.
Wen has not issued a statement, but Guthy-Renker issued the following:
“There is no scientific evidence to support any claim that our hair care products caused anyone to lose their hair. There are many reasons why individuals may lose their hair, all unrelated to Wen hair products. We intend to vigorously contest the allegations made against our products. And, we encourage any customer with any questions to contact us.”
It will be very interesting to see what happens in this case. Unless and until the plaintiffs produce sufficient scientific evidence supporting their allegations, and a jury finds in their favor, I doubt that their lawsuit will prevent people from buying this very popular hair care product.
Featured image from this Facebook page.
