Monat is a hair care line with "naturally-based" products that promise to "nourish" hair. But several customers claim that the line is making their hair fall out—and they’re suing over it.
Three class action lawsuits have been filed against the hair-care company, alleging Monat products cause "significant hair loss," "scalp irritation," and "scalp injury," according to court documents obtained by local Las Vegas news outlet KTNV.
"An inherent design and/or manufacturing defect in Monat hair-care products causes significant hair loss and scalp irritation to many consumers," one lawsuit says.
The suits say that the company uses "harsh chemicals" and "known human allergens" which may be responsible for the alleged reactions.
"I'm devastated with what my hair looks like right now," Heather Fox, who used Monat, told KTNV.
Heather says that she also used the products on her son. "And right away he had a reaction to his scalp," she told KNTV. "He had big, red, open sores throughout his scalp."
Erin Ostby, who once sold Monat as one of the company's market partners, says she had to cut off her hair because the damage was so bad. "I took a picture of my hair, compared it to a picture of before I stared Monat, and my eyes just filled up with tears," she told KNTV. "It was so thin and it was stringy and I was just sick."
Another woman, Amber Alabaster, told KNTV that the product gave her bald spots on the back of her head.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has received and is in the process of assessing 187 adverse event reports related to Monat products, according to KTNV.
There have also been 503 complaints filed with the Better Business Bureau in South Florida, where the company is based.
"My hair lost half the thickness, tons of breakage, looks so dry and damaged that when I hold it in my hand, it breaks off," one complaint reads. Another person said that they tried to cancel their VIP membership with the company "due to my hair falling out which I think more than merits a refund."
Monat spokesperson Gene Grabowski refuted the claims to KTNV.
"Any reputable lab will tell you there's nothing in the products that would cause this kind of reaction in a large population—there just isn't. You can rub it in your skin, you can drink it if you like, within reason. It's not going to cause this kind of reaction," Grabowski said.
However, when responding to complaints on its Better Business Bureau page, Monat has repeatedly written, “Although MONAT's ingredients are naturally-based, safe, pure and sustainable, we understand that some may experience a reaction and should discontinue use.”
Brittany Pillars, spokeswoman for Monat and a market partner in Stillwater, Oklahoma, emailed the following statement to WomensHealthMag.com:
“MONAT is being forced as a last resort to use litigation to stop online defamatory attacks on Market Partners like me and on our products. We’re the real victims of the falsehoods and online bullying that has come from attackers who are trying to hurt our company. These attacks are aimed at damaging the livelihoods of thousands of Market Partners and their families who have safely and successfully served their customers across the United States and Canada.”
“I know from my own experience that MONAT products are safe and that there is no scientific or other factual basis for the claims that have been made. MONAT’s products have undergone independent, clinical testing, and hundreds of thousands of consumers safely use the products every day.”
“I also know that as with any consumer product, some people may develop adverse reactions. When that is the case, they should stop using the product and report their reaction to the company. But going to the media and trying to make it appear like there is something wrong with a product in order to damage the livelihoods of so many good people is just shameful and wrong.”
Worth noting: The company has sued people for defamation after they spoke out against their products, KTNV reports.
Vickie Harrington was sued by the company in January because she used Facebook to "relentlessly disparage" Monat's products and "falsely represent" that they cause scalp damage and hair loss, according to court documents obtained by Buzzfeed News.
Mags Kavanaugh, a beauty salon owner, was also sued by the company in July per Buzzfeed News for "false advertising" and defamation after posting negative comments about the company's products online, according to court documents.
When asked about Monat's legal tactics, Grabowski told KNTV, "We have to do that to protect ourselves from defamation."
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