The celebrity-endorsed infomercial hair care product WEN Cleansing Conditioner has been linked to hundreds of reports of hair loss and baldness, according to recent class action lawsuits.
UPDATE: FDA Investigates WEN Hair Loss
July 2016 — The FDA is investigating reports of hair loss, hair breakage, balding, itching, and rash associated with the use of WEN Cleansing Conditioner by Chaz Dean. The agency has received 127 adverse event reports. Another 21,000 complaints have been sent to Chaz Dean and Guthy-Renker. Click here to read more.
WEN Class Action Lawsuits
WEN Cleansing Conditioner is a “5-in-1” product that takes the place of shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, detangler and leave-in conditioner. It claims to clean hair without lather or harsh chemicals like sodium lauryl sulfate.
However, the lack of chemicals may actually be a problem. An attorney who filed a lawsuit (PDF) in Texas explained to CBS DFW:
“It contains virtually no cleanser. 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.”
The attorney represented more than 200 women in 40 different states as of December 2015, but says “thousands or tens of thousands” of individuals all over the United States may be eligible to join.
WEN Cleansing Conditioner Lawsuits
One of the victims is a woman named Amy Friedman who filed the first WEN class action (PDF) in July 2014. In January, she paid $29.95 for WEN Cleansing Conditioner in “Sweet Almond Mint.”
She began experiencing hair loss after just two weeks, and continued losing hair for another three weeks after she stopped using the product. In an attempt to regrow her hair and hide the damage, she bought hair extensions and vitamins. Friedman accuses Guthy-Renker, the manufacturer of WEN, of actively concealing reports of hair loss, putting corporate profits above the health and well-being of their customers.
What is the problem?
- Severe hair loss
- Baldness
- Thinning hair
- Hair discoloration
- Visible bald spots
- Hair breakage
- Scalp irritation
- Rash