If you’ve ever late night channel-surfed, chances are you’ve seen one of Hollywood hairstylist Chaz Dean’s infomercials marketing his sulfate-free hair care line WEN.

The line, which is known for its 5-in-1 cleansing conditioner that promises to “take the place of your shampoo, conditioner, deep conditioner, detangler, and leave-in conditioner,” quickly catapulted to national success with the help of glowing testimonials from celebrities like Brooke Shields and Alyssa Milano–leading to a “no-poo” trend in hair care.

Yet despite the constant stream of accolades, WEN has long suffered intermittent rumors that its products cause users’ hair to come out in handfuls. The company has been party to multiple lawsuits in the past, but the accusations finally came to a head thanks to a staggering class action lawsuit that has been joined by over 200 disgruntled women in 40 states who say the line is responsible for causing bald spots on their heads.

Women are speaking out after they say a popular hair product is making them go bald https://t.co/WBYLeVPeyp pic.twitter.com/pD1KiJfVZH

— BuzzFeed (@BuzzFeed) December 15, 2015

On March 17, 2015 Dallas attorney Amy Davis filed the lawsuit against Guthy-Renker, the infomercial giant responsible for selling the line, alleging that “one or more of the Products’ active ingredients act as a depilatory and caustic agent, either by causing a chemical reaction that damages the hair strand and/or follicle.”

Several comments from online forums of customers reporting similar hair loss while using WEN were included in the court document along with photo evidence. In the photos, large bald spots primarily on the women’s crowns are visible.

The lawsuit also accused WEN and Guthy-Renker of trying to cover up their scandal by removing unfavorable reviews of their products from the Internet and social media sites that would have warned customers of potential dangers. According to the lawsuit,

Defendants paid for false and misleading blogging about the Products on the Internet and social media sites but failed to attribute the false and misleading statements to Defendants or as advertising. These acts also constitute a violation of the CFAL.

However, WEN vehemently claims it is not responsible for these women’s baldness. WEN spokesperson Joe Hixson issued a statement to Buzzfeed saying,

There is no scientific evidence whatsoever 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 care products. We intend to vigorously contest the allegations made against our products.

That directly contradicts the reasoning laid out in the lawsuit as to why the product caused balding on these women. In order for the plaintiffs to win they’ll have to prove there was a direct correlation between their use of the product and their loss of hair. If they manage to do that, it could be disastrous for the haircare giant.

WEN hair conditioner lawsuit by USA TODAY

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

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