BECKLEY – A lawsuit has been filed against the maker of hair regrowth products over allegations the products actually caused hair loss.
Esther Viola Abrams and Sheryl L. Green filed the lawsuit in Raleigh Circuit Court against Keranique LLC and its subsidiaries, employees and supervisors.
Abrams claims she saw Keranique advertised on television on Jan. 10, 2017, claiming to regrow hair. She alleges she called the Keranique Customer Service call center and explained her situation, which was long hair but a small area with thinning hair, and was told the products would regrow her thinning hair.
"I am keenly aware that every race has individuals with different types of hair," Abrams wrote in her complaint.
Abrams claims she told the agent she was a black woman and specifically asked if the product would regrow her hair and the agent assured her it would. Green also called the call center to confirm the product would work on her mother's hair.
"Sheryl said she didn't want any misunderstanding about my race and therefore my hair," Abrams wrote.
The plaintiffs claim the agent assured Green the product would regrow Abrams' thinning hair and with that assurance, Abrams purchased the four recommended products – Scalp Stimulating Shampoo, Volumizing Keratin Conditioner, Hair Regrowth Treatment for Women and the Lift & Repair Treatment spray.
Abrams used the four Keranique products on her hair exclusively and followed the directions very carefully, according to the suit.
The plaintiff claims she was billed for the products over the span of a year.
Green and Abrams both called Keranique's call center in October 2017 because Abrams was not experiencing any regrowth as advertised. The agent then made changes to Abrams' products, removing the Hair Regrowth Treatment spray and switching Abrams to the Follicle Boosting Serum.
Abrams claims she and her daughter again informed the agent that Abrams was a woman of color and the agent assured them that the new product would help regrow her hair.
"I trusted Keranique and therefore this Keranique agent," Abrams wrote. "So, I agreed to use the Follicle Boosting Serum to regrow my hair."
Abrams claims she called in December 2017 because she began experiencing hair loss. She made multiple calls and requested to speak to a manager about her widespread hair loss but after several phone calls between Dec. 23, 2017, and Jan. 4, 2018, no one ever returned her call.
Finally, on Jan. 5, 2018, a product specialist called Abrams and asked for photographs of Abrams' hair loss so she could show the legal team. Abrams sent the photos to the product specialist and on Jan. 9, 2018, the entire amount that Abrams had spent on the products, $486.51, was credited to her debit card.
Abrams said after that, she never heard another word from Keranique. She had a scalp biopsy done on Feb. 15, 2018, and those results showed there was scarring alopecia. She claims she had long hair before she began using the Keranique products, but that now she's "virtually bald."
Abrams claims she later discovered that the Keranique products were only tested on white women ages 18 to 45.
Abrahams is seeking for Keranique sales agents to be required to divulge this information, as well as compensatory and punitive damages.
Raleigh Circuit Court case number 19-C-526
