Having long, thick hair has always been a part of my life. For as long as I can remember, I’ve had a full head of hair that grew quickly. So, imagine my concern when the hair on my head excessively started shedding…

When I see any hairdresser, they always react with sheer excitement when I reveal my virgin hair. My hair has never been dyed or bleached, and quite frankly, I’m afraid of scissors and prefer to embrace the platinum strands making their debut.

Long hair comes with both its joys and challenges. Because of the length, my hair is prone to breakage – it used to weigh a lot! Suddenly, though, I started noticing that my hair falling out more than usual towards the middle of 2022, and by a long and slow process of trial, error, and elimination – I had to go through my haircare routine with a fine-toothed comb to investigate why this was happening!

After reading a recent article about the haircare brand I had been using, Olaplex, being sued for allegedly causing hair loss – I began to think, could the same be happening to me?

Hair loss is a nightmare. From blocked drains to needing a vacuum cleaner on standby, and ‘balding’ spots nobody wants to see. However, there could be multiple reasons for hair loss in women, and I didn’t want to jump to any conclusions just yet. Hair shedding is considered normal, when it isn’t excessive.

Why you could be shedding hair:

• Family history.
• Stress.
• Change in diet.
• Pregnancy (no, I’m not).
• PCOS.
• Psoriasis.
• Alopecia.

My experience with Olaplex…

Like all new beauty products, you’ve got to try them first. Small things like packaging to more important aspects like benefits and ingredients of the product play a role in your decision to adopting a new brand into your beauty or haircare routine.

Olaplex first caught my attention on social media. I was hooked by women using their products in ‘get ready with me’ videos and I knew I needed to give them a spin! I fell in love with the chic and minimalist packaging, and the idea of how stunning it will look in my bathroom…(guilty as charged).

Running to the closest retailer that stocked the range, I gasped when I saw the price! With a heavy heart, out came the credit card…desperate times called for drastic measures, I told myself. I remember thinking “it’s okay – I can justify the price. These tiny bottles of gold are going to make my hair so luscious.”

I immediately got home and decided it was ‘wash my hair day’ struggling to contain my excitement. I could see my slow-motion hair transformation reveal already – convinced I’d see a massive difference after 1 wash…I didn’t. But my hair did feel amazing.

Olaplex then became a part of my haircare regime and I was enjoying the products. The smell won me over, but I wasn’t really seeing the results that so many others had been boasting online.

And then, my hair-shedding investigation lead me to look into what products could be causing the loss. All leads pointed towards Olaplex. My hair had been shedding more than usual when and after I had used their shampoo and conditioners.

I’m not blaming Olaplex for my hair loss, because my hair loss could be caused by other genetic, biological and even environmental factors, but I can’t help but think – what if? 28 women had already stepped forward in a lawsuit, claiming that using Olaplex had caused symptoms incredibly similar to what I had experienced. Coincidence…or am I number 29?

When I started the treatment, I had also recently changed my diet and eliminated all red meat. My iron sources were low, and iron is crucial for hair growth. My stress levels had increased, and I had just started to work on combatting some of my PCOS symptoms. I lost a lot of weight and considering I have an auto-immune disease already, Alopecia was on the cards. Above all of that, I had also started developing psoriasis on my scalp…

It’s safe to say that other determining factors to hair loss were present in my situation, but after reading the allegations towards Olaplex, in retrospect, could that be a contributing factor as well?

Since then, I stopped using Olaplex products. Firstly due to the fact that the pretty penny I had to dish out for repurchases became too steep. My hair gets oily quickly, so I wash more frequently than usual, burning through my haircare products. And secondly, I needed to determine if this brand was actually a contributing factor to my hair loss, or not!

Do I still experience hair shedding now? Yes. I am trying every prevention method under the sun because it’s important to look after your skin, teeth nails and hair. It’s a top priority for me. From more protective hairstyles to using less heat, and taking iron supplements to restore and promote my hair growth, I’m doing my best to stop the shedding. Let’s get into the preventative measures:

Hair loss prevention methods

• Satin/Silk hair ties.
• Satin/ Silk pillow covers.
• Less heat.
• Anti-breakage brushes.
• Heat protectors.

In the wise words of India Arie, “I am not my hair”, but I do love having long hair!  I cannot see myself with short hair considering my face shape. So yes, I take such good care of my hair – dull and lifeless hair is just not an option. If that means cutting out harmful products or a change in lifestyle, then so be it.

Disclaimer: This is my own personal experience with using Olaplex products. My views don’t reflect the views of W&H as a brand.

ALSO SEE:

Olaplex is being sued by 28 women for allegedly causing hair loss

Featured Image: Own Image