A 19-year-old administration assistant from Peterborough has developed bald patches allegedly after using Pantene shampoo.

The Daily Mail reports that Sophie Peppercorn had seen the Pantene adverts on TV featuring presenter and singer Mylene Klass and decided to try the shampoo for herself. The adverts promised healthier looking hair within 10 days of using the product. However, the first time Ms Peppercorn used the shampoo in the shower, her hair began to fall out in clumps.

‘As I showered the bubbles from my hair, I could feel a lot of it in my hands,’ said Ms Peppercorn. ‘But it was only when I patted my hair dry with a towel and looked in the mirror that I realised the extent of the hair damage.

‘My hairline had receded several inches where my hair had broken off at the roots.

Meanwhile, the rest of my hair was so damaged and frizzy it was breaking off in handfuls. I was so devastated, I broke down in tears.’

She telephoned the Pantene help line, which offered her a £5 voucher as compensation.

'Incredibly, they seem to think I will want to buy another bottle,' she said.

After searching online, Ms Peppercorn found other cases of women who had used hair products and suffered hair loss. Her doctor could find no physical reason why she had developed bald patches on her scalp, she said.

‘I had seen the ads with Myleene Klass in them and obviously she has beautiful hair. So I thought I'd treat myself to her shampoo and see what it could do for me.

'I was excited about trying it. But I haven't stopped crying since.’

Some other cases online cited the chemical wax sodium laureth sulphate as the cause of the problems in Pantene and other shampoos.

Chairman of the Institute of Trichologists, Marilyn Sherlock, said that sudden hair loss was not uncommon ‘especially in younger women, due to dieting and stressful busy lifestyles'.

Ms Sherlock said the problem might appear to be linked to a particular product, but could be coincidental and might have happened with any shampoo.

Ms Peppercorn has returned the bottle she used to Pantene for analysis. Manufacturers Proctor & Gamble said:

‘'Consumer safety is our number one priority. Pantene is completely safe to use and is the leading product on the market, as voted by thousands of women who buy and use our product every day.’

Ms Peppercorn is currently wearing a wig to work and is hoping her hair will grow back.

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