TRESemme Shampoo Linked to Hair Loss

A woman, Holly Schafer, who says her hair fell out after using TRESemmé shampoo is suing the parent company, Unilever Personal Care & Home USA. The lawsuit concerns the use of a chemical that can allegedly cause hair loss, thinning hair, and scalp irritation. The lawsuit alleges that even after consumer complaints alerted the company of the chemical’s potential danger nothing was done to protect consumers of the product.

The complaint alleges that TRESemmé shampoo had DMDM hydantoin, which, upon breaking down, releases formaldehyde- a known carcinogen- when it is applied to the skin.

Schafer states that she purchased and used TRESemmé, which contained the formulation with DMDM, and subsequently experienced significant hair thinning and also witnessed her hair falling out in clumps; both conditions subsided following her discontinuing the use of the products.

Unilever allegedly knew of the harms of DMDM for about 10 years, which were brought to their attention via multiple class action lawsuits in 2012. These lawsuits alleged similar complaints of substantial hair loss coupled with use of their products, most commonly the “Suave Keratin Kit.”

The suit identifies a 2014 settlement for $10.25 million in the Northern District of Illinois and states that Unilever allocated $10 Million to resolve hair loss personal injury claims. This is supported by the settlement between Unilever PLC and consumers who alleged in their complaint that the Suave brand hair product caused their hair loss. They further allege that the company was on notice of the harms of DMDM due to various online complaints, which show that the products, and the chemicals present “have long been associated with causing hair loss” and other scalp and hair related injuries.

The complaint alleges that in addition to having long been associated with causing “hair loss, thinning hair, dermatitis, and other adverse scalp reactions,” the use of “DMDM as a preservative is an entirely unnecessary risk because various safer and affordable alternatives exist.”

Schafer brings four claims, including strict product liability, manufacturing defect; strict products liability, design defect; strict products liability, failure to provide adequate warning; and negligence, seeking compensatory and punitive damages.