One case of permanent hair loss from Optimum relaxer

JewelleNY

Well-Known Member
Does this make you think twice about relaxing?:eek: :(

This was posted in the transitioner's support thread (click on the link to see pics):

http://www.going-natural.com/hair-disasters/hair-disasters/court-case-against-carson/lloreal.html


Court case against Carson/Lloreal
The Optimum relaxer caused Isabella Broekhuizen to go bald and forced her to brake off her US modelling carrier. Now she is back home in Maastricht, the Netherlands fighting for justice.

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Isabella broekhuizen was diagnosed with chemical burning caused by sodium hydroxide, the main ingredient in lye relaxers. She sues because her aspiring modeling career is over, her bald and burnt scalp still hurts and she has to wear hair-prostheses for the rest of her life. Here is her story.
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Isabella this is quite a story. How old were you when you first started to use relaxers and what were your reasons to straighten your hair?
I was 12 years when I started to use relaxers. I straightened my hair because I thought it improved my looks.

So you were quite familiar with the process when you used the Optimum relaxer. So what went wrong that day? Was this the first time that you relaxed your hair yourself?
No it wasn't the first time I relaxed my hair myself. So I think it was the brand. Optimum was probably too strong.

What exactly did you? Can you explain what happened?
I used the relaxer same as usual.

What do you mean ‵the same as usual.‶ Can you be a little more specific?
I used the relaxer the same way everybody does. I added it to my roots, close to my scalp to make it as straight as possible, from roots to ends. Then I wanted to let it sit for a couple of minutes like the directions said. According to the box I could have left it on for 13 to 18 minutes but it started to burn immediately. I thought the relaxer wouldn’t straighten my hair if I rinsed it out instantly so I left it on for 4 minutes. After that I could not take it anymore and rinsed it out.

Did you neutralize?
No. There was no neutralizer in the box. I suppose any other brand includes a neutralizer in a home use kit. The Optimum instructions said ‵rinse with warm water and condition afterwards.‶

When did this all happen? How long is this ago?
In 1996.





When did you realize you were loosing your hair and how did long did it take to loose all of your strands?
I realized I was losing hair after a couple of months and within a year I was completely bald.

I suppose you go crazy when you see that you are loosing lots of hair. What did you think was causing you loosing your hair and what did you try to do against it?
I realized it was caused by the relaxer and I did go to hospital. They gave me a heavy dose of vitamin A.

You went to 3 different doctors. What did they say? What was causing the itching and what caused you to go bald?
About 60 doctors examined me in total. Each on of them diagnosed me with chemical burning caused by sodium hydroxide. This ingredient also caused itching. It’s was a main ingredient in the Optimum relaxer and as I understand now in lye relaxers in general.

How is the lawsuit going?
Preparing a lawsuit and going for justice is not easy. It is also a fight for justice.

When is the trial? It’s true that Lloreal wanted to settle for 50.00 Euro?
There is no date for the trial yet. I hope it will be as soon as possible. It is true that L'Oreal tried to settle for 50.000 euros.

When and why did you give up modeling? Did you try modeling with wigs?
I gave up modeling in 1998. I was in too much pain. No, I didn't try modeling with wigs.

Do you work now?
No, I don't work now, according to authorities I am not physically fit to work.

Does your head still itch? Isn’t there a chance that your hair will grow back? Do you really have to wear wigs for the rest of your life?
My head still itches and I still have wounds. There is no chance that my hair will ever grow back. So, yes, I have to wear wigs (actually hair prostheses) for the rest of my life.

What do you think if you look back?
If I knew then what I know now, I would have never used Optimum.

Can you explain what you mean? Sodium Hydroxide is a main ingredient in lye relaxers, the main ingredient in no-lye relaxers is Calcium Hydroxide. These are quite strong and harmful ingredients but necessary to straighten hair. Are you saying that if you knew then what you know now you would use another brand, a no-lye relaxer or no relaxer at all?
I think I would do something else with my hair. Like Braiding or weaving. If I could change anything I would take the whole relaxing experience away, so I would have no more pain, no more prostheses to wear, no more doctors to visit, no more worries, no more thoughts that bother me day by day by day.

Are you against the use of relaxers?
No, I'm not against the use of relaxers but I think it’s very important to inform people about the hazards of using them. I really wasn’t aware that relaxers were so hazardous that one could get injured for live. No one ever told me that they were hurt by the use of a relaxer? All I heard was ''it burns a little but it will be over before you know it.‶ So I truly never saw any harm in relaxing my hair. And even now when I try to warn people, they don't listen. They act like nobody has ever has a problem with relaxers and that something like this won't happen to them.
That’s why I think the product needs a more explicit warning, especially for home using. A warning like those on the cigarette boxes. It explicitly says that cigarettes can cause long cancer etc. Relaxers need a warning like that. It should be clear what the implications can be. Because believe me. If only I had known, I would have been very alert and way more careful.
 
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the link isn't working for me but i read the interview anyway. i wish i could see the pictures. that sucks that she got scarred for life from a relaxer. some things in the interview left me unsetled. since when did lye relaxers come in boxes or kits? isn't the neutralizing shampoo sold separated for the lye relaxers. on the other hand if she was using a kit, i assume that it's no-lye and they usually include the neutralizing shampoo as well. Also, she says she started burning after 2 minutes. 2 MINUTES? wth? I'm not saying she doesn't have a valid case here but i just found those areas suspect. I hope she finds a cure for the pain.

p.s. don't relaxers have warnings on them saying it can be harmful if not used properly?
 
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Dam what are the odds of this? She must have had something terribly wrong going on with her scalp or the product for something like this to happen I would think. I do believe Optimum was a really really strong relaxer back in the day. Not sure about the ones on the market now.

ETA: I just read the part about no neutralizing!! Oh my word...that is not good.
 
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Why was there no neutralizer? Isn't there supposed to be? Does that make a difference?

That's a scary article. My head itches just from reading it and I don't even use relaxers anymore. :eek:
 
Oh, I wish I didn't see that picture. It disturbed me. I am so sorry that happened to her. That must be awful.
 
We all should be careful when using any type of chemical. I think she must have done something wrong. Their should be other cases if it was a bad batch of relaxer. They didn't make just one batch for one container.

I sorry this happened to her. I know a lot of people want to leave the relaxer on at long as possible so that the hair can be straighter but I've never though that was a good idea.

She should have known to use a neut.
 
Cichelle said:
Why was there no neutralizer? Isn't there supposed to be? Does that make a difference?

That's a scary article. My head itches just from reading it and I don't even use relaxers anymore. :eek:

hmmm

everytime i purchased this brand of relaxer there was neutralizing shampoo included in the kit and the directions included the neutralizing step

the article says she didn't neutralize

i wonder if she completely rinsed the relaxer out or did she apply it directly to the scalp or if the damage was a result of using the relaxer incorrectly overtime or did she double process
 
Cichelle said:
Why was there no neutralizer? Isn't there supposed to be? Does that make a difference?

That's a scary article. My head itches just from reading it and I don't even use relaxers anymore. :eek:

I was starting to feel twitches in mine too:lol:....I can not believe this woman followed those directions. "Rinse with warm water and condition" WTH!!! If she had of did that with any relaxer not just Optimum the results might have been the same.
 
dlewis said:
We all should be careful when using any type of chemical. I think she must have done something wrong. Their should be other cases if it was a bad batch of relaxer. They didn't make just one batch for one container.

I sorry this happened to her. I know a lot of people want to leave the relaxer on at long as possible so that the hair can be straighter but I've never though that was a good idea.

She should have known to use a neut.
yea, it sounds like she didn't do all that she was supposed to do, it is just so scary though:ohwell: I used to self-relax in college without neutralizer and when I was clueless about AA hair care so I feel fortunate I didn't suffer worse damage.
 
I totally believe her hair fallout was from the relaxer..but
It's really hard for me to believe the box said rinse with "warm water" and condition after???? It didn't even say wash w/regular shampoo much less a neutralizing shampoo?...how is that? Especially in 1996 when chemical straighteners had been on the market for over 30 years and it was well known that you must neutralize after the chemical process.:ohwell:
 
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sherylin123 said:
I totally belive her hair fallout was from the relaxer..but
It's really hard for me to believe the box said rinse with "warm water" and condition after???? It didn't even say wash w/regular shampoo much less a neutralizing shampoo?...how is that? Especially in 1996 when chemical straighteners had been on the market for over 30 years and it was well know that you must neutralize after the chemical process.:ohwell:

Well unless she has the original box from 1996, I don't see her winning this case. Ain't no relaxer company going to make a boo boo as big as that and nobody catches it.
 
Wow, that is very unfortunate that this happened to her. From the looks of it, she left the relaxer on for a long time.
 
You know if you buy the professional lye relaxer tubs there is no neutralizer. But, everyone (I thought) knows you need it.

I don't believe that the instructions said not to neutralize. Ihave never seen that and all LYE relaxer do say for professional use only.

She F'ED up bottom line. I am sas this happened to her, but it is not fair to sue Soft Sheen/Carson over this.
 
She didn't neutralize? :eek:

ETA: No, this doesn't make me think twice about using relaxers. Do your homework before you decide to do-it-yourself. That goes for anything and everything. I do feel bad for her tho. :(
 
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the picture was pretty bad. I dont understand how a lye relaxer can burn THAT bad though, in 4 minutes? Is the pic recent or from 1996?
 
Wow, until my last relaxer, I've used Optimum relaxers for almost ten years and have never had any averse effects. I'm really sorry this happened to her...but I thought everyone knew that you have to neutralize after relaxing? And the idea that the directions just said to rinse seems a bit sketchy to me.

This doesn't make me think twice about relaxing b/c I always do my strand test and follow directions to a T.
 
JazzyDez said:
the picture was pretty bad. I dont understand how a lye relaxer can burn THAT bad though, in 4 minutes? Is the pic recent or from 1996?


She left it in 4 additional min after she had relaxed the hair. I self relax and only leave the relaxer in about 4-5 mins, but I'm not trying to get my hair bone straight.
 
dlewis said:
She left it in 4 additional min after she had relaxed the hair. I self relax and only leave the relaxer in about 4-5 mins, but I'm not trying to get my hair bone straight.

Yeah but girlfriend is bald! :eek: I'm thinking she had to have been just slathering that mess on non parted and detangled hair after it was freshly washed, and scraping her scalp w/ a comb while it was in. Then maybe didn't rinse it out for like 45 minutes or something. I'm kidding, but really I'm thinking she must have left it on waaay longer than she said to have such results.
 
I think she had a REALLY bad allergic reaction and on top of it didn't neutralize. I've never seen burns that bad in all my life.
 
marie170 said:
Well unless she has the original box from 1996, I don't see her winning this case. Ain't no relaxer company going to make a boo boo as big as that and nobody catches it.

I agree, maybe if this one the relaxer in a tub but if it was a box relaxer. Even if the neutralizing shampoo was missing (due to some type of packaging error), the instructions would tell her to use one. I don't believe that the instruction told her to go straight to conditioning.

I think the instruction may have said to use lukewarm water. Maybe this lady is alergic to one of the ingredient or something. The way she is presenting her case, I don't see her winning, especially since she has been relaxing since she was 12.
 
JewelleNY said:

No it wasn't the first time I relaxed my hair myself. So I think it was the brand. Optimum was probably too strong....

I used the relaxer same as usual...

There was no neutralizer in the box. I suppose any other brand includes a neutralizer in a home use kit. The Optimum instructions said ‵rinse with warm water and condition afterwards...¶

I realized I was losing hair after a couple of months and within a year I was completely bald.


I'm sorry that happened to her. Those photos are scary. So that's what happens when one doesn't neutralize...whoa! I'm surprised she didn't use leftover neutralizing shampoo from another brand since it wasn't her first time relaxing.

Isn't Optimum no-lye in a box and Optimum lye in a container (neutralizing shampoo, conditioner, etc sold separately)? :confused:

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No this doesn't make me think twice about relaxing. I use Motions mild, and I don't get burns. I don't scratch/wash my hair the day before or the day of relaxing, and I always base with vaseline. I use neutralizing shampoo and a conditioner that also neutralizes relaxer residue.
 
She also said she applied it from roots to ends (I used to do that with no lye:eek:) which is a big no-no. It doesn't make me think twice about relaxing but definately futher encourages me to stop self relaxing and go to a professional.

.
 
I think she is leaving some information out.

She stated that she has self relaxed before. So from experience, she should know to neutralize.

IMO, I read a cooking recipe many times before I start to make it and check to make sure everything is there. I know I will do the same with my hair. I mean really, if the process seems strange. Read it again. It may be a case of selective reading.

I don't think she will win this case either. It has warnings and if it was lye, it would say for professional use only. Unless she can cough up the original box and instructions.

I saw this pic. Ouch.

Honestly, it it burns when I put it on my head, I would stop right there. Rinse and neutralize. ( learned this from experience-I have lost all of my hair from a botched relaxing incident before-my burns were bad but not this bad.. I just was bald)
 
That is horrible...the thought is definitely scary.

I do agree with you sha76. Something is definitely missing from her story. Seems as if she knew her mistake and didnt tell.
 
well she could have been relaxing the wrong way, maybe just using regular shampoo, and putting it through the entire length for years and not know. I mean it says for professional use but it you dont need a liscense to buy it.

I also think that something is missing from her story. For her scalp to be burned that bad, she had to feel some excruciating pain from the burning. Maybe it was an allergic reaction to the lye if she had only used no-lye before
 
I agree with everyone. Scary and very sad situation, but something is amiss. How could she not neutralize, if she'd been relaxing for years? Wouldn't she have known better? :confused:
 
As sad as her situation is, I don't see her winning the case for the reasons others have posted.


If she was using a lye relaxer out of a tub, they'll hit her with: "Why were you attempting to use a product that was clearly marked 'FOR PROFESSIONAL USE ONLY'? Soft Sheen/Carson/Loreal cannot be held responsible for inexperienced people misusing their product."

If she can't produce her erroneous instructions, I'm sure their lawyers will be more than happy to produce the .pdf that shows exactly what was printed in the other millions of jars of relaxers that they have produced since 1972.

There are just too many ways to turn this into "user error". I do feel bad for her though.
 
It doesn't make me think twice.

Her first mistake was she didn't even make sure she had everything she needed b4 relaxing.
2nd mistake she applied from root to tip :eek: .
3rd mistake she left it on longer after her head was already on fire scared it wouldn't be "straight enough" :perplexed
Now if it took months for her to notice she was loosing hair, how many more root to tip, head on fire applications did she do b4 she ended up like that pic. For we know she was probably relaxing every 4-6 wks, and each time leaving it on long enough to get it super straight, head on fire and all. Not to count all the times she didn't use a neutralizing shampoo. :ohwell:

Now that is crazy and I don't feel sorry for her.
 
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