Olaplex 3 and hair loss?

[Vaesther]

Has anyone experience excessive shedding of hair after Olaplex 3 treatment??

I thought it was a coincidence the 1st time, but it happened after the 2nd and 3rd tx.

I used it weekly x 3, and the hair loss after the 3rd treatment is noticeable.

I will not use it again (and only used about 2/3 of 1 bottle).

No hair scalp itch or redness, to suggest an allergic reaction. 

[jacalym]

 

Why are these products still

selling? After months of usage my hair starting to fall out in chunks. I used Olaplex number 3,4 and 5 . I’m devastated because I have always noticed shedding for the months I’ve been using it but not hair loss like this. I didn’t want to believe that a product with such a huge fan base could actually be rotting my hair. I started to do research into it and many users said the same as me, after months of exclusively using the hair line they experienced hair loss from the roots in chunks . 

[emcsquard]

I wish I would have saw these posts before. I bought the entire line and this happened to me. I started using Olaplex between September 2024 just the shampoo and conditioner. In October i bought the whole line. Its January 2025. I've lost so much hair until it looks like I'm going bald in the center of my head and I didn't realize it until my husband told me. Olaplex told me I need to seek a health professional..I said well funny you say that since my annual physical was Jan 16, 2025. Full spectrum blood work...thyroid, A1C etc...nothing wrong. Clean bill of health so try again Olaplex. Be warned do not use this product. Its not worth the risk. 

[Margalee]

@Vaesther I'm not sure about shedding which I haven't used it much so not sure it would cause it from a couple uses but it made my hair ratty as heck. And now that I've read your posts that is terribly concerning. 

[CLalo]

How are these products still on the shelf? I literally jsut took a shower and used the entire range as i bought two kits, i noticed right away a clump of hair and then another.... I though to myself... no way its from this, but as I continued on with my shower more hair started shedding off (and no not a normal amount.... I pay close attention to my shedding, and this was definitely not normal). I'm panicking right now, like now do I get these products off my hair!!! Is that even possible? Ahhhhh, help!!!!!

[Margo33]

I have been facing severe hair loss since the spring, and it has been quite distressing for me.

Initially, I attributed it to grief or hormonal changes, assuming they were causing my scalp to become dry.

In an attempt to alleviate the issue, I have been using dandruff shampoos like Nizoral for the past six weeks.

Unfortunately, despite my efforts, my scalp remains dry and itchy, and the rate of hair loss is unlike anything I have ever experienced before.

Ironically, I had been eagerly looking forward to discontinuing the use of dandruff shampoos so I could return to using my trusted Olaplex products. Then a close friend who was aware of my recent hair loss distress and knew that I used Olaplex brought this to my attention. I would have never made this connection.

I am hopeful that by removing Olaplex from my hair care routine, it will have the chance to heal, and perhaps my hair will start to regrow.  Nevertheless, I am truly astonished and quite frustrated that Olaplex has not responded better in this particular situation. Shame on them!

[JLeeXo]

My olaplex nightmare lasted two years. I used the full line, but I have curly hair so

i only wash my hair twice a week, before some bra!n de.3d olaCult member tries to accuse me of overusing that crap. I used every single product less than the instructions suggest. I lost 70% of my hair and had massive bald spots, my scalp got red and inflamed and burned. I noticed after months of  consistent use (2x a week or less) that my hair suddenly felt dry and like it was lit on fire. my curly hair got so dry and brittle it looked straight. Then 10-14 inches of my once soft, healthy and beautiful hair snapped off, all my length just gone, broken off near my ears and shoulders. . I’ve never gotten any treatment for my hair loss because I do not have health issues or vitamin deficiencies. No autoimmune disorders, no medication, and i don’t use chemicals or heat on my hair. It looked like I had alopecia areata and frontal fibrosing hair loss. My hair is completely back to normal now, and i no longer have bald spots. Want to know my treatment. Absolutely nothing besides I STOPPED using olaplex. And it wasn’t freaking covid hair loss which m.or.on.s have no clue the correct terminology, which is tellogen effluvium. I lost 70% of my hair two years before I even got covid and didn’t even get TE. Besides. Tellogen efflivium doesn’t cause massive bald spots. #wongiswrong #olaplexispoison 

[Xenomorphine]

When you say two years, do you mean your hair kept falling out more than it should for two years? Or do you mean it did not grow back as thick as it was until after two years? Or do you mean it tool two years to have decent texture and length again? Did your hair grow back to the same thickness as it was or was there some permanent hair loss? I'm getting a buzzcut tomorrow because my hair has fallen out with the root so much its become too thin to make it look ok but I'm desperate for reassurance that it will all grow back normally. I'm scared it somehow fucced up my scalp. It's been almost a month and the shedding hasn't stopped or even slowed down.

[applesandorange]

After just one treatment of Olaplex No.3 and one treatment of Olaplex No. 8, I've had dramatic hair loss. Every time I wash my hair I collect a hand full of hair. I find lost hair strands constantly on my shoulders and on the floor. An entire swath of hair broke off during blow drying. I now have a section at the top of my scalp that has only 2 inches of length. The only change in my hair routine has been the addition of using these Olaplex products. I wish I had learned about this before I purchased these products. I'm afraid I'm going to keep losing more and more of my formerly full head of hair. It's pretty shocking. Please pull these products from the market immediately!!

[JLeeXo]

here’s some more of my olaplex shedding. And I saw a dermatologist and my doctor, did ever test you can think of and I’m perfectly healthy. Olaplex was the only new factor . This is from one wash day, and fell out of my hair in about 20 seconds as I ran my hand through my hair m

I tried  adding photos , but im

not sure if they’re attaching. If someone can please tell me if they see them I’d appreciate it

[deeeeeeeM]

Sad to say that this happened to me. Happened to run across a post elsewhere and started digging to see that it's a big big problem with these products. I always had very thick, full hair and I'm wondering if I'm ever going to get that back now. Devastating. After just one use, extreme shedding that kept going on for long enough to leave my hair noticeably thinner. Very sad. 

[futurine]

I had hair loss from Olaplex too. After a lot of exploration - clarifying shampoos, diet, silk pillowcases etc. - I found I had a fungal/yeast infection on my scalp. I had bald spots and itchy head, and my hair was falling out from the roots. I didn't attribute it to Olaplex at first, so after healing my scalp I went back to using it, and now my hair shedding is back. I used 3, 4 and 5 the first time around, and this time only 3. Luckily I now know what to do.

What works for me is:

1) Anti-fungal shampoo. I use Nizoral. It makes my hair texture not great so I alternate with a basic shampoo. Right now I'm using Aveeno Fresh Greens but I'm sure any basic shampoo will work, or just use Nizoral every time.

2) Drying hair after every wash. I used to let hair air dry but letting the roots stay wet makes the fungus thrive. So soon after every wash, I just flip my head upside down and dry my hair on low-medium heat, focusing on the roots, to stop the moisture from lingering.

3) Not stretching washes. Washing more keeps my scalp clean and happy.

That's it. Just realized my hair is falling out again and made the connection with starting Olaplex again. I just ordered more Nizoral. I'm confident I'll get this thing back on track again, but Olaplex sucks and I'm not touching that stuff ever again.

[sparkx]

I have been using Olaplex shampoo for about 3 months, I started losing hair about 2 months ago but thought it was the menopause, I've lost about 50%.  Now I have this happening at the back of my head.  IT burns and is itchy.  I have never had anything like this before in my life, not allergic to any other product ever.  

[JLeeXo]

Olaplex did this to my scalp as well. Oddly it started burning my scalp after months of usage, not right away . It feels gross, but vaseline and aloe really helped me 

[MrsMann]

After YEARS of fairly regular use -of many products from the Olaplex line- I just had to cut my hair up to my shoulders. What’s left is healthy but my lord it was the worst it has ever been! I’ve gotten bleach highlights regularly for over 20 years but truly, the “Olaplex years” stand out as a frustrating, bizarre spiral of brittle, lank hair that is near IMPOSSIBLE to comb through when wet. To be clear I always purchased it at Sephora to avoid fraud, and used clarifying shampoos and high quality deep conditioners and natural oils like castor to try to put moisture back in my hair, to no avail! Now I’m scared af to use any of my Olaplex products again. 

[Sisterinlaw]

I, too, had major fallout after one use of Olaplex 0 and 3. 

[leximarie02]

Me too 😞 took a year to get better but it eventually does get better…

[leekell3737]

Me too😭

[louwolff]

This is terrifying! And is enough to make me not even try these products. Thank you for sharing @Vaesther 

[Midor]

I used this once today, and found a handful of hair on my shower floor! As it dried in noticed I was shedding long hairs from the roots.  I already had thin hair, but now I am terrified I am going to wake up with no hair. I have read your horror stories, and wish to add mine. This stuff should be removed from the market.

 

[JLeeXo]

Olaplex causes hair loss! Hair damage!!!! And it can change hair texture. My hair was soft, healthy, and curly. Olaplex turned my curls into straw. It wasn’t over processed, in fact when my hair turned to straw i hasn’t used dye in 8-9

months. Nor did I use heat. Only olaplex. And all my blood work came out normal. Olaplex will tell you it’s your fault but it’s not. They are poisoning us and causing extreme.  Thank goodness after more than a year my hair is finally getting healthy again. But I still have bald spots caused by olaplex that have not grown in 😞 the shedding is over , so

im grateful for that 

 damage.