FDA Investigating Hair Loss Claims Linked To “WEN By Chaz Dean” Products

Image courtesy of Chaz Dean

Haircare products are supposed to do just that — care for your hair. So when consumers start reporting hair loss, balding, itching, and rash associated with using a certain product, the Food and Drug Administration is going to take those reports seriously.

The FDA announced today that it’s investigating WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioners, a line of products by an Los Angeles stylist that are supposed to clean hair without sulfates and the accompanying lather you get from traditional shampoos.

As of July 7 this year, the FDA said it’d received 127 adverse event reports directly from consumers about WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products, which is “the largest number of reports ever associated with any cosmetic hair cleansing product, including cleansing conditioners.”

The FDA is also looking into more than 21,000 complaints reported directly to Chaz Dean, Inc. and Guthy Renker, LLC that it learned of during inspections of manufacturing and distribution facilities.

The agency hasn’t yet determined a possible cause for the adverse events that have been reported — hair loss/breakage, balding, itching, and rashes — and is asking the company to “provide any data that might help us to better understand the reports of hair loss associated with the use of WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products.”

In addition, the FDA is spreading the word to physicians and other health care providers asking them to notify their patients of hair loss and other complaints linked to the products.

If you’re using WEN by Chaz Dean Cleansing Conditioner products, the FDA wants you to be aware of what’s been going on, and report any adverse effects that could be related to using the products to the agency. If you do experience a bad reaction, you should immediately stop using the product and talk to your dermatologist or other health care provider.

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