DevaCurl Class Action Says Products Cause Hair Loss

Deva Concepts LLC is facing a class action lawsuit alleging its DevaCurl products cause hair loss.

According to the DevaCurl class action lawsuit, the company gained attention from consumers when it developed a formula in 2002 for a product called DevaCurl No-Poo Original.

The DevaCurl website said that “No-Poo” means that the product does not lather because, unlike most other shampoos on the market, it does not contain sodium lauryl sulfate.

“Years ago stylists discovered that sodium lauryl sulfate was super-harsh and that bubbles did not = clean,” the website’s FAQ page states.

“DevaCurl created a botanically-infused cleaner with a specific pH level that could cleanse the scalp without stripping follicles. The result was the world’s first conditioning cleanser or ‘No-Poo Original,” according to the DevaCurl FAQ.

The DevaCurl products named in the hair loss class action lawsuit include:

• DevaCurl No-Poo Original non-lathering conditioning cleanser
• DevaCurl One Condition Original hair conditioner
• DevaCurl Light Defining Gel
• DevaCurl Low-Poo Original cleanser
• DevaCurl Low-Poo Delight cleanser
• DevaCurl No-Poo Decadence cleanser
• DevaCurl One Condition Delight hair conditioner
• DevaCurl One Condition Decadence hair conditioner
• Melt into Moisture Mask
• Styling Cream
• DevaCurl Leave-In Decadence conditioner
• Super Stretch Coconut Curl Elongator
• Wavemaker
• DevaCurl Ultra Defining Gel

According to the DevaCurl class action lawsuit, consumers pay a premium for DevaCurl products based on representations by DevaConcepts that the products are less harsh than other products available on the market.

“However, despite Deva Concepts’ promises, which have caused many curly haired consumers across Canada to purchase and use the DevaCurl Products, use of the Products cause scalp irritation, excessive shedding, hair loss, thinning, breakage and/or balding during normal use by consumers,” the DevaCurl class action lawsuit says.

To make matters worse, the DevaCurl class action lawsuit says Deva Concepts misleads consumers into believing that the shedding and hair loss caused by the products is normal and blames any excessive hair loss on factors unrelated to the use of DevaCurl products, such as stress, dandruff, weight loss, giving birth, scalp buildup and certain illnesses.

Plaintiff Sara Himmiche of Montreal says she experienced scalp irritation and hair loss after she purchased and used DevaCurl products. She claims the defendant made false and misleading representations about DevaCurl products and failed to disclose their defective nature.

In the DevaCurl hair loss class action lawsuit, Sara claims damages for increased risk of hair loss and scalp irritation, anxiety and mental distress, unjust enrichment and restitution, and punitive damages. She also seeks a refund of the amount she paid to purchase the products.

Sara says she is not alone. According to the DevaCurl class action lawsuit, thousands of consumers have reported they experienced hair loss during use of or shortly after using DevaCurl products.

Angry customers have taken to social media to complain about DevaCurl hair loss, the Deva Concepts class action lawsuit says. One Facebook group that raises concern about DevaCurl scalp irritation and hair loss reportedly has nearly 50,000 members. On Instagram, a search for #RecallDevaCurl reveals hundreds of posts from consumers urging Deva Concepts to recall the product claims the complaint. 

According to the DevaCurl hair loss class action lawsuit, Deva Concepts has taken notice of these complaints and posted an update on its website on Feb. 11 to reassure customers that its products have been subjected to “rigorous testing that has confirmed they are safe and adhere to both quality assurance and regulatory standards.”

Deva Concepts has not issued a recall of the products and has not warned consumers about the risks of hair loss or other risks associated with the DevaCurl products, Sara says. The company has actually denied that its products cause any health issues, the DevaCurl hair loss class action lawsuit says.

Sara says Deva Concepts breached its duty to manufacture and distribute products that were safe for consumers to use. She says the company failed to implement adequate quality control measures to ensure the products were free of defects.

Class Members of the proposed Deva Concepts hair loss lawsuit include anyone in Quebec who purchased or used one or more Deva Concepts or DevaCurl products for sale in Canada. Sara says that she, along with members of the proposed Class, have experienced prolonged anxiety and mental distress from the DevaCurl scalp irritation and hair loss.

Have you ever used Deva Concepts hair products? Did you experience any unusual hair loss or irritation? Tell us your story in the comment section below!

Sara is represented by Theodore P. Charney of Charney Lawyers PC and Michael Simkin of Simkin Legal.

The DevaCurl Hair Loss Class Action Lawsuit is Sara Himmiche v. Deva Concepts LLC, Case No. 500-06-001044-201, in the Superior Court of Québec, Canada.

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