The Virginian-Pilot
                             THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, February 7, 1995              TAG: 9502070300
SECTION: LOCAL                    PAGE: B6   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY MARC DAVIS, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   50 lines

4 WOMEN SUING OVER HAIR LOSS ALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY RIO RELAXER

Four local women who say their hair was damaged by Rio Naturalizer, a hair relaxant recently removed from the market by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are suing the product's American distributor for $2.35 million each.

The first of four lawsuits was filed Monday in Norfolk Circuit Court. The woman in that case, Denise L. Milliner of Norfolk, claims she began using the product in September and her hair began falling out in December.

The other three women will file identical lawsuits in Norfolk and Chesapeake, said their lawyer, Besianne T. Shilling. All four have lost hair because of Rio, she said.

In December, the FDA warned consumers not to use Rio because it can cause severe hair loss or turn hair green. In January, the agency seized all the remaining supplies of Rio from the company's warehouse in Hollywood, Calif.

The hair relaxer is sold by mail only, mainly through ``infomercials'' on television. It is imported from Brazil and distributed by World Rio Corp. of Los Angeles.

The company appeals to women by advertising the product as ``all natural'' and ``chemical-free.''

The product is described in advertising brochures as ``an exclusive formula derived from the exotic flora which grows in the forests of Brazil. . . a plant extract, vitamin based, non-toxic, all natural formula that straightens hair gradually, yet is gentle to the hair.''

The FDA says Rio appears to be copper-based, and a copper salt is likely to cause a hair color change. The agency also says Rio appears to be highly acidic, which may cause hair loss, but this probably is not permanent.

In her lawsuit Monday, Milliner claims the product contains ``dangerous chemicals such as ammonia, copper and chloride.'' After applying the product, Milliner claims, she felt a ``burning sensation'' in her scalp and tried to remove the application.

Later, she claims, her hair broke off and began to thin and fall out. By late December, she began wearing a wig to cover her increasing baldness.

The lawsuit accuses World Rio Corp. of negligence, failing to warn customers of the product's danger, and violating the product's implied warranty. The suit seeks $2 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages.

KEYWORDS: RIO HAIR LAWSUIT by CNB