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. 

[lo9143]

I recently joined An olaplex hair loss group on Facebook and many people have had regrowth

[hairloss]

Which group?? 

[lo9143]

It’s just called olaplex hair loss

[Ally613]

Hi!  I hope you see a break soon.  I've been doing all the rinses and shampoos and it's starting to grow out but the roots are very strange.  Like wispy.  I'm guessing Olaplex permeated my scalp and may have caused damage to the hairs that were forming.  Yay!  Anyway, I've been putting in masks (Moroccan, Argan, even Guacamole Mask) and leaving it overnight.  The time it looks like sheet is when I accidentally used protein bonding conditioner.  Oooof.  That's a misery.  Anyway, it's been 5 months and the tide is turning but honestly it's about having new growth.  The only thing that is making the Olaplex Terrorized hair better is moisturing and ACV.  The issue is that whatever terrorizing chemicals in Olaplex permeated and changed the texture down to the root so Clarify, ACV Rinse, Moisturize, Rinse, Repeat and Grown Out.  😞     I have never been so angry at a company in my life.  NEVER AGAIN.

[lo9143]

I was scared of doing avc rinses too much? It can be damaging in itself 

[Ally613]

Oh and I wanted to add that yes, the clarifying shampoo is a bit drying but it's helping get the tresses back to somewhat normal.  At least for me.  When I do not use Suave Clarifying (which was a lifesaver), I am using Pantene.  Yep.  The smoothing shampoo and conditioner works for me, but I have fine hair (so fun that it's now even finer thanks to Olaplex).  I think that given how my hair is growing I hope to look normal in June but that's just a hope.  In the meanwhile, I just continue to do these little treatments every other day to keep my own hair looking more normal while I grow out new, non Olaplexed, hair.  Also, protein seems to be everywhere lately.  I stay away from anything with Keratin or the following:

• Cystine Bis-PG-Propyl Silanetriol (Derivative of keratin protein)
• Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol (Silicone modified wheat protein)
• Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein (Quaternized wheat protein)

I am sure they are not weopons of mass hair destruction normally but now that my hair is Olaplex damaged, if I stay away from these types of products it looks more normal.  It lies nicer.  I also see less chunky texture which then breaks off.  Anyway, that's been my experience.

[jamieh11]

Hi there, 

I am experiencing the same thing 😞

I lose approximately 130-140 hairs a day, I did my 5th clarifying wash last night and wash my hair every other day. So far, no sign of improvement. I now have extreme dryness and breakage on the ends of my hair as well. Next time I wash my hair, I am going to switch my conditioner to a moisturizing conditioner. I will keep you updated!

I 100% believe that Olaplex did this to my hair, I am a 20 year old female. I have been in sports all of my life, go to the gym daily, and eat very healthy foods. I have virgin hair that is very long, my length reaches my thighs. I have taken care of my hair all of my life. I never switched any products in my hair care routine, except using Olaplex back in November. I have never experienced hair loss like this in my life, I even got my blood tested to see if anything was wrong... everything came back good. Olaplex has completely changed the PH on my scalp, I experienced a very greasy scalp and my hair started falling out like crazy days after using the shampoo and conditioner. My hair used to be very, very thick... it is noticeable thin now. I lose strands all over my head, not in just one particular spot. The hair comes out so easy, my hairbrush is loaded every time I brush it. This is truly the most terrifying experience anyone can go through.

I am in the same position as you, I really hope that it gets better with time. We need to stay positive and have hope that it will change.

[hairloss]

it sounds like it is. I was reading all the reddit threads regarding olaplex hair destruction. A lady on there says she hired an attorney and others say that they are still suffering breakage with new growth after a year and a half. 

 I left messages for more info as the posts are 1-2 years old. I haven't seen any responses. You may want to look at reddit for further info on this journey. Wishing you the end of the hair loss!! 

[lo9143]

I have looked there but like you said there were no recent posts. I really have looked everywhere because I just want answers. Last night I found a girl on tik tok who swears some ph treatment fixed her hair after olaplex …. I’m nervous to try too much tho…. I am hoping that I am nearing the turn around point and that this isn’t just a temporary lapse. I have an appointment Thursday with my gyno to make sure this is form my birth control even tho I have been on it much longer than this whole ordeal and I’m still waiting on my referral to the dermatologist. I just hope 2022 brings better hair 

[EliH101]

The comments on this site have confirmed that my gut feeling was accurate. The use of the Olaplex line has contributed to my massive hair loss and has drastically decreased my curl thickness. My curls are no longer curly. The bounce is gone. 

I stopped using the products today and will look into alternate products to help prevent further loss and damage. I am submitting an official complaint about this to the FDA. 

Wishing everyone all the best with their hair recoveryOLAPLEX is making my hair fall off.

[BellaBaron]

I have to ask - did you have Covid? There is practically an epidemic in my small town of women losing hair after Covid, usually 8-10 weeks after. I used Olaplex 3,4 and 5 long term, and had a salon treatment with 1 and 2 a few weeks before my hair started falling out in handfulls. But I also had Covid, which produces the same result. I wish I knew the cause, not that it would help grow my hair back any faster. 😞  Wishing everybody beautiful, healthy hair in 2022!!

[Jay267]

My hairloss started in the first week of November in the shower after using Olaplex and literally washing it out of my hair, I used Olaplex successfully in the past and because I read comments about hairloss and olaplex and assumed I was just paranoid and I used it a second time and then my hair was literally falling out at the root 170+ hairs per day in the beginning which went down to 120-150. 

In mid December it finally stopped after I kept washing my hair with clarifying shampoo like suggested in the group. So I had absolutely no hairfall anymore for 1.5 weeks and I even wrote about it here, and how many times I approx used the clarifying shampoo until it stopped... I never had covid before, but then got covid over Christmas, a super mild case, I had a fever one night and a body ache for 2 days, that was it. But my hair started falling out again the 3rd day of my covid isolation!!! 130+ hairs and I was just so annoyed that whatever Olaplex started is now back and something triggered the hairloss again from covid, I do need to say my hairloss 'moment' from covid only lasted like a week, so now it completely stopped again and I'm back to my normal maybe 20-30 hairs a day if at all which is like what I used to lose.

I never had hairloss in my life, and it literally started in the shower washing out my first olaplex treatment so I'm 100% sure its at fault, especially since all of us here have very similar experiences... I mean what are the odds... 

[Ineed2keephair]

I also had COVID back in September through the first week of October.  Just over the past two weeks, my hair has been falling out in clumps and scaring the s*** out of me! Thank God I have curly hair so it is not as obvious as it would be if I had straight hair! I just hope my hair will grow back!

 I hope to hear from anyone that has experienced this same issue and hace had their hair grow back. 

[hairloss]

so so sorry. See your doctor to run testing but I am here to tell you that Olaplex destroyed my hair. Use detox shampoo. And moisture masks or oil. Not coconut oil apparently.  I lost over half my hair in a month and a half time frame. I looked like a molting chicken. 

[Dustdust]

Only used it 2 times, and my hair is so thin and brittle now.  I'm so sad. I've been growing my hair out for quite a few years now after a big chop and it was quite healthy and shiny save for the 4 inches on the ends. I thought the olaplex would help but it just started falling out and now I feel like Gollum. People notice how unhealthy and frizzy it looks. I'm so depressed. I dont know what to do. So much time just wasted. 😞

[Dustdust]

Yeah, this whole ordeal is ridiculous!

I spoke with my aunt (She has a background with hair and is a barber still, so far, she's never steered me wrong... I wish I would have asked her about the Olaplex before I got it ). Anyways, She suggested that for myself and others that can't get the hair to stop falling out to get a product called Fermodyl. She said it should make the fall out stop and help the dry brittle pieces less likely to break.

Hoping for the best. 

[Dustdust]

Hi, sorry I keep replying to myself. 

I would just like to share. I scratched the Fermodyl that my aunt suggested because I researched the ingredients.. So that was a no go.  

But i coated my hair in avocado oil for ththe better part of the day and then washed it out with a mixture of

Diatomaceous Earth and Pantene since it was the only shampoo on hand.  My hair seems to have stopped falling out now and the texture has kind of come back a bit... 

I would recommend using the Diatomaceous Earth though, it has a positive charge that pulls things not unlike activated charcoal. So it should totally renovw the left over Olaplex.

[hairloss]

that is a good idea- the clay. I think Olaplex changes the ph of the scalp. 

[heartsmyface]

@hairloss  I’m sorry you’re going though this.  You’ve made me curious with your comment.  

Okay so the scalps PH is supposed to be at 5.5 as is the rest of your skin.  The hair shaft generally sits a little more acidic at a PH of 4.5-5.5  

Acidic products close the cuticle and alkaline products lift the cuticle.  At a PH of 12 your hair will dissolve.  
The Olaplex n3 files state that they sit between 3.5 and 5.5.  
Just to be sure I tested it myself cause I was curious as to the validity of their claims.  I added water which has a PH of 7 (more alkaline) as you wouldn’t apply the product without water in any case. The strip would not absorb the product on its own. 

 

After 60 seconds it appears their claims are accurate and that the PH of olaplex sits around a 5.5 so it couldn’t be solely responsible for changing the ph of your scalp.  

[Mellmars1185]

@heartsmyface You are very knowledgeable! Thank you. I have been on the fence about trying Olaplex because of this thread and have not done much research myself.

[hairloss]

Thank you for this research. Perhaps it is protein overload as others have theorized.