Popular infomercial hair care brand Wen was hit with a class-action lawsuit in 2015 after over 200 women from 40 different states claimed that the line’s cleansing conditioners caused hair loss, breakage, balding, irritation and rashes.
While the case has since been settled for $26 million, the FDA continues to investigate the 1,386 consumer reports of adverse effects it received from Wen cleansing conditioner consumers.
Despite the allegations, Wen founder Chaz Dean insists his products are safe and with the results of a new clinical study, he’s hoping to clear his and the brand’s name once and for all.
A hairy situation: After hundreds of Wen by Chaz Dean cleansing conditioner consumers claimed the product caused hair loss, the brand is looking to clear its name
The founder: Chaz Dean and the brand had the products tested to evaluate their safety and claim and no adverse reactions were reported
The brand has released research from a 2016 clinical study performed in an outside lab and involving over 100 subjects that clears Wen of the previous allegations against it.
According to the results, ‘the chemical formulation does not present an acute or chronic toxicological hazard when used in intended manner’ and that during the study ‘not a single adverse reaction of any kind was reported’.
If not the product, the question is, what did cause consumers’ hair loss and irritation?
Dr. Nicole Rogers, Louisiana-based hair transplant surgeon and dermatologist, points to a handful of temporally related possibilities including alopecia areata (‘an autoimmune form of hair loss where round or oval patches develop on the scalp or beard or body’), telogen effluvium (temporary shedding caused by a shock to the system like childbirth) and thyroid abnormalities.
‘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. ‘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.’
Unsatisfied customers: In 2015, a lawsuit was filed against Wen after more than 200 women said the cleansing conditioner made their hair fall out
Is conditioner to blame? Dermatologists say that it’s likely the affected women were experiencing hair loss due to other causes like alopecia areata
But if a consumer is severely allergic to an ingredient in the product, New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Howard Sobel said that ‘it is very possible’ that a reaction could cause hair loss.
‘Two of the preservatives used in the cleansing conditioner are methylchloroisothiazolinone and Hydroxyisohexyl 3- Cyclohexene Carboxaldehyde which have been either banned or deemed unsafe for use in consumer products in Europe,’ he said.
However, the clinical study found that the ingredients in Wen products are not unique; over 20,000 personal care products on the market contain at least one of the same ingredients.
Dr. Rogers notes that ‘in most cases, shampoo or conditioner is washed right out anyway and would not be left on the scalp for a prolonged period of time’, in other words, the product isn’t in contact with the skin long enough to cause a major reaction.
Still got fans: Despite the lawsuit and an ongoing FDA investigation, the products have not been reformulated and continue to fly off the shelves on QVC
So is Wen cleansing conditioner safe to use?
With upwards of 40 million bottles sold and thousands of glowing reviews on qvc.com, the brand clearly has no shortage of happy customers.
If you have a history of skin allergies, Dr. Rossi suggests performing a skin test on your forearm before use.
The FDA, who has issued a safety alert for the brand while it carries out its investigation, recommends that consumers ‘stop using the product and consult with their dermatologist or other health care provider’ if they experience a reaction after use.