‘Hair wax made me bald!’ Man claims styling product made hair fall out in clumps

A man claims an extreme reaction to VO5 hair wax forced him to shave his head.

Lee Hardy, 24, says he only started using the £4 styling product last month, and soon noticed dry sores appearing on his scalp.

He says that within days his hair began to fall out in clumps and shaving his head became his only option.

The builder from Pudsey, Leeds, has been in touch with Unilever, which owns VO5, to explain his situation – and was outraged to be offered only a £20 voucher in compensation.

He said: “Why would I need voucher for hair products when I have just lost my hair, it was an insult.”

MORE: Nightclub reveller went to A&E so doctors could glue broken nail back on
MORE: New ‘trouser airlock’ could help astronauts poo in space

The dad-of-one said his head became “dry and itchy” within a few days of using the product, adding: “When I looked in the mirror, I was horrified and my hair was falling out in clumps.

“I have used the product in the past and didn’t have any issues, but I bought a new pot in January and started using it again.

“I used the putty to spike my hair up in the centre, and that’s the part of my scalp that has been directly affected.

“It was okay for a couple of days but then I noticed dry skin on my scalp, because I’m a builder I just thought it was just down to working in construction.

“But around five days later my hair started to fall out and I noticed a few lumps on my head.

“From there it just got worse and I’ve since shaved my head as I couldn’t cover up the hair loss any longer and I am desperate to get to the bottom of it.”

After a moisturising shampoo recommended by his doctor failed to help, Mr Hardy has been using a prescription moisturiser to treat any infection and help to reduce the stinging.

He has since contacted Unilever which has now started an investigation. He also claims that VO5 have subsequently offered him £210 to settle the case, which he has rejected.

He said: “I want to get to the bottom of this and find out exactly what was in the product, I need to know what has caused it in order to get the problem treated.

“I have even had an allergy test to prove I am not allergic to anything, it’s just so strange. I’ve never had any problems with my scalp before.

“The skin on my scalp has now started to peel off which sometimes causes it to bleed, and I now have to moisturise my head three times a day.

“I am forced to constantly wear a hat to cover up my head which is really embarrassing, and when I do take it off people stare.“

A spokesman for Unilever, said: “As we have not had any other complaints about our product, we would welcome the opportunity to investigate further.

“As a company the safety and quality of our products is our top priority and we have been in touch with Lee to arrange for the return of the product so that we can continue our investigation and test the product in question.”