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. 

[Anonymous]

YES it does cause severe breakage. And i bought mine straight from olaplex. It is the product. I've never had problems with my hair and then I started the shampoo and conditioner and it fried my hair off mid range and underneath .Broke off 6 to 8 inches from scalp all the way around my head. And all underneath broke off at about 6 inches from scalp. I would NEVER recommend this product to anyone.

[Bmeri20]

I actually did that, and was told No. 3 couldn’t possibly do that. Sometimes it is a hair care product. A lot of women swore by Deva Curl and now most are complaining about hair loss, breakage and dryness. 

It very well could be some(Olaplex users) are loaded with protein and need moisture, while the others(Deva Curl users) are loaded with moisture and need more protein. 

If the only thing someone has changed is a certain product, chances are that certain product is the culprit. May not be what they need for their hair, or it could be an allergy. 

With that being said, everyone is different and has different hair care needs. You cannot definitively say that Olaplex isn’t their problem. 

[miinx]

Check out the ingredient list for Olaplex #3. You can very definitively say Olaplex isnt protein, because the ingredient list literally doesn't contain any... 

[Banshee03]

Last summer, I had very bad hair reaction to Olaplex.

The first time I used it was during a highlight in the salon. (Been highlighting my hair for years with no issue) and a few days later, while washing, I noticed along the hairline nap of the neck, fine tangled knots.    I chalked it up to a bad highlight job and thought nothing else about it.

After a few weeks the tangles were worsening, fine hairs breaking off at the nape, and other portions of my hair had dried feeling to it.

After a couple of months I purchased Olaplex kit from Sephora.    My hair was like stiff!  I read up on the product, search and searched and found some people saying maybe my hair had a buildup of keratin products in it so use a strong clarifying shampoo and do it again,.    I did.   Big mistake.   My hair was a porous brittle mess.

I emailed the company and they responded saying there is no way Olaplex could damage my hair.

I strenuously disagree.    It was the start of the problem, and it certainly finished the problem.   I have had a nightmare of a year trying to comb my hair when it is wet.  I have cut about 4 inches off and it is finally getting to be manageable.   I have fine hair that I highlighted...it was not a damaged mess, I used no heat products on it and took care of it, until Olaplex ruined it.

Most people swear by it though.   I don’t know what determines the bad outcome but it definitely fried my hair.

[Anonymous]

Hey! I’m in the same boat, I’m freaking out right now how much hair I lost this past month from using it, can I ask where you purchased yours?

[LadyRaiLee]

I'm natural too and Olaplex tore my hair up!  My hair shed for months after I used it about a year ago, and the breakage was ridiculous.  I only used about 1/3 of the bottle, which I ended up returning because I hated how my hair felt after one use.  One every forum, there's always a hardcore Olaplex fan claiming there is no way the product can damage hair.  I call ducktales, because my hair was in great condition and that changed overnight after ONE use of the Olaplex treatment.  

After months of insane shedding, I read somewhere that when the Olaplex bond breaks, it takes the hair with it, so clarifying can help to remove the bond.  I used a clarifying shampoo, and followed up with a pH-balancing conditioner, and this helped my hair to rebound.

[crimes0fcouture]

How long did you shed for? My hairstylist used it on me exactly one month ago and have been shedding excessively ever since walking out of the salon. Did your hair grow back?

[LadyRaiLee]

My hair shed for close to a year, slowing down after the first six months.  I lost half of my hair density, it was horrible.  I already have fine hair and I couldn't believe how thin it had gotten.  Thankfully, my hair bounced back and is healthy again.  I filed a complaint with the FDA early on, due to concern about Olaplex's formulations.  

[GG84]

@crck 

How did you use Olaplex? @Olaplex  you really should have one of your educations come in here and do a Q & A with @TeamBIC . I’m a hairstylist and my advice falls on deaf ears. It is constantly misused and so much misinformation. 

[Vaesther]

I watch the videos from the Olaplex official site and followed directions.

I had thyroid testing and other labs checked, and no apparent cause for hair loss. I am not sure that Olaplex was the culprit, but stopped using it anyways. I have very thin straight hair, and was using it to decrease  frizz, but it did not help. Briogeo deep conditioning mask has helped a lot.

[RAWRitsRED]

OMG!  This might totally explain my horrible hair breakage!!  I've been getting my thick, black Asian hair bleached to silver since June 2019 and it's been ok for the most part since I only bleach the roots every 2 months and get the rest toned.  4 months ago, my hair stylist noticed some hair breakage in the back of my hair.  I hadn't noticed it since it was in the back and hidden on the inside.  I've been using Olaplex 3 since June 2019 but I've been using it more recently.  I use about 1 bottle a month.  I definitely felt like my hair was drying and falling out after every use but thought it was normal for some reason...  I'll definitely stop using Olaplex 3 and see what happens.  Guess I'll stick to hair oils for now and maybe some hair masks if you guys have any recommendations.  Thank you guys for bringing this to my attention!!  You might have saved my hair and money!

[orchidgirl30]

Same here! Hair breaking off at top, sides, and falling out at the roots. I’ve had super healthy all over blonde and sometimes just highlighted blonde for years. Started with the bonding treatment, then bought the shampoo/conditioner, and finally the leave in bonding cream. 
After searching the Internet I believe my hair doesn’t handle protein style treatments well, and I am hearbroken with all the loss. With every brush stroke it is filled with hair. Nothing else has changed. It has to be the Olaplex  😩

[Anonymous]

So sorry. I’m having the same problem. Have you tried contacting Olaplex? They won’t respond to me and the salon NVS in Bel Air defended the product and offered no refund or help. It’s very frustrating #olaplexhairloss 

[Anonymous]

I also had a negative reaction to Olaplex.  My stylist used it when I had highlights and within 30 days all the highlights fell out.  I did see my doctor and had blood work etc and everything came back fine. A year and a half later the salon now states there have been many cases involving Olaplex and they agree that is what caused it.  For now it's a short cut for me 💇💇💇

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@Vaesther wrote:

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. 

---

[hairlosssad]

I also confronted serious shedding after using Olaplex products. I tried them for the first time after getting my annual hair Botox treatment which has never cause any shedding in the past.  It got really bad after using No. 3. where I started feeling a tingling sensation Immediately after applying the product on my scalp and it also caused some sensitivity. I panicked and decided not to wait any longer and went ahead and rinsed the product out of my hair. The shedding was unbelievably excessive. My hair became very fragile afterwards and began breaking and continued to fall out. Today, 3 months later I have new hair growth around my face, on the sides next to my ears and on the top. I’m in such despair. Spending so much money only to have my hair ruined.  I’m thinking that maybe it was a bad batch of Olaplex that caused the problem since I’ve read so many increíble reviews on this product.  I honestly don’t understand how this happened.  My hair is very healthy and I’ve never had any problems with my hair in the past.  It’s a mystery!!! 

[Anonymous]

I think it was a bad batch too and keep emailing the company but no response. Let’s keep trying to get a resolution! 

[GG84]

@Anonymous 

That is scientifically impossible, sorry. I’ll let @Olaplex explain. 

[Bmeri20]

My scalp itches after No. 3 was used on my hair, then I had lots of fall. So you’re telling us it’s even scientifically impossible to have an allergic reaction to a product? Why else would my scalp itch?! 

I stopped using No. 3 and my scalp doesn’t itch anymore. I know it caused a reaction in me. I even contacted the company about it to see what the difference is between No. 3 and the rest of their products. They told me the ingredients are on their site. Okay, well, I was asking them not their box. Their customer service employees should know what the ingredients are in their products, or have a dummy list so they can cross reference in case someone contacts them. What if it was a severe allergy and a dermatologist contacted them. 

Only thing I can figure is you either work for Olaplex, Sephora, get a kick back, or you’re just ignorant. 

Right now I’m having issues getting Guy Tang Express Toners to stay in my hair. My stylist is all wigged over it. On me it washes right out after one wash. The owner of the shop told me that my hair may not have enough collagen in it. Said damaged hair won’t hold color like it should. Only thing different in this whole scenario is Olaplex. I had a fail with the express toner. We clarified my hair with Kenra shampoo, then a Malibu treatment and still the toner wouldn’t process correctly. Then washed out after one wash with Olaplex. I saw my stylist working on another girls hair, used a different Guy Tang express toner and she literally only had it on for like 5-7 minutes and it processed correctly. I was right beside her at the bowl while he was putting it on! Only thing I can gather from all that, she wasn’t a die hard Olaplex user. Hope she doesn’t go down that rabbit hole unless she knows how to properly balance her hair care routine. 

Different people have different needs. Instead of coming on here like a know it all fabulous stylist, why don’t you listen to the posters. Heck, even having your hair pulled back tight all the time can cause breakage and pulling on the follicles. Disease can cause hair fall. Stress can cause it. Having an operation where you’ve had general anesthesia can cause it. Hormones can cause it. Aging can cause it. Allergies can cause it. Postpartum hair fall is a thing and so is vitamin deficiency. If all of those things can be ruled out, you can be pretty sure it’s a product that is causing it. Whether or not it’s because the hair is out of balance or something in the product. 

[miinx]

If your scalp itches, that suggests a histamine reaction - aka, an allergy. You need to take the msds sheets of all the hair products you are currently using that cause this itching to your doctor so they can perform a proper allergy test and pinpoint the ingredient you have a sensitivity to. 

[hairlosssad]

Well it may be scientifically impossible but I don’t think we are making this up. All of us that have shared our experience after using the product have many things in common. Anything is possible. 

[Olaplex]

Hi there! 

We would love to troubleshoot with you! May we ask what you have done to your hair recently, such as chemical services? We also would like to suggest taking a look at our MSDS sheet and sharing it with your doctor as there could be a possible allergy!

Our team is here to answer any questions you may have!