If you watch television, or are in the least bit interested in beauty products, there’s a good chance that you’ve stumbled across the infomercial for Wen at some point. It bills itself as a kind of miracle, single-step cleansing conditioner that will give you shiny, healthy, bouncy, beautiful hair. As the product’s website says, it contains “a perfect blend of special ingredients, including natural botanicals and herbs, and do[es] not contain sodium laurel sulfate or harsh chemicals.” Plus, several celebrities with absolutely gorgeous hair, like Brooke Shields, endorse the product. Seems like it’s worth the splurge to get silky, soft, beautiful hair, right?

Well, it turns out that Wen might not exactly give you the gorgeous hair promised – in fact, there’s a good chance that it’ll absolutely destroy your hair. Lately, hundreds of Wen users have been coming forward with their horror stories of hair loss and irreparable hair damage from using Wen products. From going totally bald to losing huge chunks of hair with every shower, there’s no doubt that there’s something in the product wreaking havoc on customers around the world. Wen representatives are denying that there’s anything wrong with their best-selling product, but let’s be honest – if that many users step forward, often with physical photographs documenting the damage, something must be wrong.

While the world waits to see what the verdict will be of the class-action lawsuit brought against the company, here are 13 Wen horror stories that will have you reaching for your trusty shampoo and conditioner.

15 Molly of Birmingham, Alabama

This Wen user was turned on to the product by her mother, who was a huge fan of the product and decided to treat her daughter to gorgeous hair. However, things quickly went south – just like many Wen users, Molly was soon losing increasing amounts of hair in her shower. “I was having to clean my drain protector in my shower after EVER shower,” she said. “After my friend told me about the lawsuit, I finally felt validated and that I wasn’t just being paranoid. I’m only 25 years old with healthy, barely ever colored hair.” Unlike some of the other Wen users with even more damage, Molly remains hopeful, ending her complaint with the simple statement that “I just hope my hair bounces back!”

14 Linda of Commerce, Georgia

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This former Wen user posted an image of her hair and scalp, and believe us – it’s totally shocking. Linda decided to splurge on some Wen products and ordered them from QVC. She began using the products, and soon began seeing increasing amounts of hair loss, so she stopped using it. However, it was already too late – as Linda said, “hair loss continued until almost ½ of my beautiful thick hair was GONE. The top of my head and ¾ down the back was completely BALD. Could not leave the house without a hat. Was so embarrassed.” Nearly two years after stopping Wen products, Linda’s hair is still not recovered – nor has she. As she confessed, “my self-esteem and my self-worth [were] majorly impacted.”

13 S.S. of San Diego, California

This former Wen user, who only identified his or herself as “S.S.” ordered the Wen products from QVC, like many users. After a mere three uses, S.S. began seeing a lot of hair loss in the shower. “My hair has continued to shed and I am practically bald at the crown and sides of my hair,” S.S. said. “I purchased a hairpiece to wear and will be going to my hairstylist to have a weave installed. I am so depressed and don’t know what to do.” While it may seem like a mere vanity thing, comments like S.S.’s show what a huge impact hair loss can have on someone.

12 Ealpasha of Sterling Heights, Michigan

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This individual, identified only by their e-mail address Ealpasha@yahoo.com, had a lot of complaints surrounding the Wen products. They already had thick, gorgeous, shiny hair, and figured Wen would just make it even better – movie star hair, right? Well, that is, until they began experiencing a ton of hair loss about two weeks after beginning to use Wen products. As the user said, “it was the most horrifying experience I’ve ever had. I almost lost half of my hair. I went to all kinds of doctors, did so many tests to make sure it wasn’t my health and I was healthy as a horse.” No one should have to go to the doctor because of a beauty product gone wrong!

11 Elizabeth of Concord, North Carolina

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While many former Wen users with horror stories felt the product’s ill effects only a handful of washes after they started, Elizabeth was able to use the products for about a year and a half with raising suspicions. Sometimes, Wen users experience hair falling out in clumps on the third or fourth use, but Elizabeth found a gradual loss that took her a long time to figure out the reasoning behind – she figured it was just due to aging, hormonal changes, frequently styling her hair in a ponytail, etc. However, she was clued in by her sister, who told her about the lawsuit. “I have always been complimented on how pretty and thick my hair was,” said Elizabeth. “Not so much these days.”

10 Debbe of Lakeport, California

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When Debbe first began using Wen, she felt some tingling, but figured it was just some refreshing botanical ingredients in the product. However, the hair loss soon began setting in, and her scalp became often sore, itchy, or burning. Neither her hairdresser nor her doctor had any clue what was wrong, and with no other possible reason behind the damage and hair loss, Debbe concluded that it had to be the products. “I am hoping that my hair will grow back to its before Wen thickness,” she said.

9 Mary of San Antonio, Texas

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When it comes to Texas hair, bigger is better – more volume, more height, more curl, more everything! However, Mary from San Antonio soon found out that the Wen products didn’t quite deliver as promised. She received a few bottles as an early Christmas gift from her sister-in-law, and after trying one of the products for the first time, her head began tingling immediately. Figuring she simply had a strange reaction, she tried the product once more, leaving it on for longer, and the burning just intensified. Mary is probably thankful that the product was so painful she didn’t leave it on long enough to cause serious hair loss, like in some other users.

8 Kars of Clifton, Colorado

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With extremely damaged hair (a result of the hair catching fire), Kars in Colorado turned to Wen to help get back her lustrous locks. At first, it seemed like it was working, building a type of extra conditioning layer. However, the build-up kept increasing use after use, and soon enough, it suddenly just fell out. “It just fell out at the roots,” said Kars. “This occurred one year after the fire, and had nothing to do with it. It was the Wen. It will smother your hair.” When someone whose hair has literally caught fire feels like your product is damaging to their hair, you know it’s really bad.

7 Desiree of Klamath Falls, Oregon

Desiree from Oregon was blessed with thick, gorgeous hair, so it took her awhile to notice the thinning that Wen caused. However, it quickly became obvious – and incredibly painful. “I didn’t think anything of it right away but then it was like globs of hair in the shower daily,” said Desiree. “It started to hurt just touching my head, brushing my hair was painful and more and more hair was falling out.” Not only did the product totally destroy her hair, Desiree also ended up being in collections and sued because the company charged her even after she called to cancel, and refused to pay an invoice for an unwanted product. Taking her hair and her money!

6 Bridgit of Sioux Falls, South Dakota

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Unlike some Wen users who experience their damage right away, it took a bit longer for Bridgit to see the errors of Wen’s ways. As she said, “I used it every day, at least 1-2 times. Initially, my hair was great.” However, the problems soon started. “Slowly I started to notice it lacked luster and was becoming brittle and hard to comb through…now when I look at pictures from over a year ago… it is evident, awful, and sad.” Even after four months using other products and totally cutting Wen out of her beauty routine, Bridgit’s hair hasn’t returned to its former healthy state.

3 T.M. of San Francisco, California

This Wen user doesn’t have a story about Wen-induced hair loss, but he or she does corroborate the stories of many users who claim to have been unfairly charged as well as left with damaged hair. T.M. was unaware they were being enrolled in an auto re-order program, and were caught by surprise when there was a second charge by Wen on their credit card. Five e-mails with no surprise, assurances by several customer service reps over the phone that the charge would be cancelled… something isn’t right in the product, and something isn’t right in the way they’re handling the charging.

2 C.C. of Crowley, Texas

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Texas girl C.C. purchased Wen and, as creator Chaz Dean advised, threw away all her other products and began exclusively using Wen, However, within a month, as C.C. said, “I noticed my hair was falling out on the comb and [there were] 3 bald spots in the middle of my head on both sides, and the top of my head about 5 weeks later.” Even though she stopped using it when she realized what was going on, it might have been too late. “I still have no hair growth on those spots, like my hair just permanently shrivelled or [underwent] a chemical burn. I have not been able to wear my own hair since June and am now having to wear wigs to avoid the embarrassment and inconvenience of baldness.”

1 Kim of Lubbock, Texas

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In this day and age, there are so many sites for reviews, testimonials, and complaints that it can be easy to scroll through them without a second thought. However, many of the Wen users’ complaints are absolutely heartbreaking. Take Kim in Texas, for example. After six months of Wen use, as Kim said, “I have now lost 50% [of my hair]. Doctors have checked hormones and thyroids, both fine. I lose 400 to 500 stands a day, everyday… there’s not a day I don’t cry and just keep praying the hair will eventually stop falling out.”

Sources: peoplestylewatch.combuzzfeed.comconsumeraffairs.com

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