Dozens of plaintiffs have joined an ongoing injury lawsuit against the popular hair care brand Olaplex.
Insider
Dozens more customers have joined an ongoing lawsuit against the TikTok-famous brand Olaplex.
More than 100 customers now say in an amended suit that they suffered physical injuries like hair loss.
Olaplex has said clinical tests have shown its hair products to be “safe and effective.”
More than 100 customers are now part of an ongoing injury lawsuit against the hair care brand Olaplex, which rose to prominence as TikTok influencers and celebrities embraced it.
Dozens of customers have joined an amended complaint filed Thursday night in California federal court, adding to a rising volume of allegations that Olaplex products can cause hair loss and scalp problems.
In recent months, Olaplex customers flocked to social media message boards to share stories about their hair breaking and falling out, and some have obtained refunds, Insider previously reported.
Olaplex has repeatedly said its products are “safe and effective,” and posted reports of third-party tests on its website that it said demonstrate that.
Since the customers’ lawsuit was first filed last month with 28 plaintiffs, the lawyers representing them say they have been thronged by others seeking to join their suit. Amy Davis, one of the attorneys, told Insider that they’ve heard from “hundreds and hundreds” of people expressing interest in the suit, and that the lawyers have been vetting their claims.
“It’s been constant emails, constant phone calls,” said Davis, an attorney based in Dallas, Texas. “The response has just been pretty overwhelming.”
Davis said that she and the other attorneys advising plaintiffs in this case have scrutinized claims by prospective clients, inquiring into factors like underlying health issues and major life stressors that could impact hair health.
“I have no interest in pursuing claims that I cannot prove that the product is the culprit,” she said. “I need to be able to rule out other causes and isolate the product.”
Olaplex has denied the lawsuit’s allegations, saying on Thursday that the company had gone “above and beyond industry standards” and posted the results of its tests from third-party laboratories.
“We know that hair loss and hair breakage can be distressing, and we empathize with those who are experiencing this and searching for answers on what may be causing it,” an Olaplex representative said. “However, Olaplex products do not cause hair loss or hair breakage.”
“We continue to have full confidence and believe in the safety and efficacy of our products and will continue to vigorously defend our company against these accusations,” the representative said.
The plaintiffs alleged in their lawsuit that using Olaplex products caused their hair to break and their scalp to itch and burn, and that it led to significant hair loss, including bald spots.
The lawsuit also challenges Olaplex’s advertising that their products are “safe for all hair,” and alleges that the company uses misleading marketing tactics.
The suit is not a class action, but it groups the claims of numerous plaintiffs in a way that can help manage the logistics of pursuing them.
Uniting dozens of claims in a common venue can, for instance, help with discovery — the part of the suit where parties ask each other for information to build their arguments. In this case, the plaintiffs are planning to seek details about things like product formulas and testing, according to Davis.
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