ICYMI, there has been a lot of fuss about Wen in the past year. According to Health, over 200 women in 40 of these here United States have signed a class action lawsuit against surfer hair extraordinaire, Chaz Dean, for his Wen products apparently making their hair fall out.
If you Google, “wen hair loss,” the first few rows of pictures are of women showing the top of their heads with various patches of hair missing from their crowns.
Chemicals haven’t touched this scalp since a relaxer made my 3b locks fall out, but the sight of hair falling out of heads makes a girl go into fetal position. Their pain can be felt in spirits of women everywhere across the skin rainbow.
Problem is, the hair that is falling out is not from black women’s scalps.
Chaz Dean may have utilized celebrity favorites Brooke Shields, Alyssa Milano, and Christina Applegate to market the products, but that does not seem to be the audience.
Wen marketed itself as a system that was for ALL hair types. They also wanted to show women that you did not need shampoo to wash your hair, but could simply use conditioner. This is known in the black community as co-washing; other communities tend to call it the no-poo movement.
This was actually exciting! I had the possibility of staying over my friend Julie’s house and being able to find something to co-wash my hair after I got out of the pool? Parents of color everywhere were rejoicing at not having to go pick up their kid the same day in the summertime anymore.
Problem is, what works on Julie’s hair usually does not work on mine.
Frankly, THAT IS OKAY.
We can celebrate diversity by not all using the same thing! We are different, and that is beautiful. Not everything that works for one person will work for everyone else.
Moral of the story, steer away from hair care products that say they are for everyone. That is like the whole world being able to use the same shade of foundation. Please.
My dear friends who have finer, thinner hair, proceed with caution. Or pick up a bottle for one of your coarser-haired girls.
Black women, run and get allllll the Wen while it is on a discount. Your locks will thank you.
