'DO NOT BUY': Mum forced to cut toys out of girl's hair after daycare disaster
A mum has warned against a popular toy after a number of them became tangled in her daughter's hair while she was playing at a child-minding centre in Perth.
Despite all efforts to remove the colourful, spikey balls, mum Tanya Zreik was forced to cut chunks out, which left her daughter devastated.
The tiny colourful spheres, called Bunchems, are designed to stick together to form fun 3D creations, but they've been the source of parents' frustrations since launching in 2013.
However they were new to Ms Zrei, who said she'd "never heard of them." That was until her six-year-old daughter Zahia found herself with several lodged in her hair.
"It was like a bird's nest, they wouldn’t come out. I think they should be banned," she told Yahoo News Australia.
"The more I tried to get them out, the more embedded they were."
The incident occurred while the mum-of-two was in a fitness class in Canningvale and Zahia was being looked after at the creche.
Upon picking her up following the 45-minute class, Mr Zreik was shocked to see the matted mess her daughter's hair had become.
"The [supervisor] when she’d told me was like she’d seen a ghost. It was a little unexpected," Ms Zreik said, who was told another young girl had put them in her hair.
After attempts to untangle the mess by creche staff and Ms Zreik, the mum decided to take her home where she continued.
Daughter was 'screaming and crying'
Ms Zreik immediately removed her daughter's hair from her bun and tried to brush it out. She then tried using detangler spray to help soften the locks.
"The first ones came out easily enough but some wouldn’t come out," she said.
"Zahia was screaming and crying, she was so upset and I felt upset for her"
After 20 minutes she realised she'd "only made it worse" so she had no choice but to cut them out.
Because they were positioned near the roots on the top of Zahia's head, the mum said her daughter now has "peacock hair" ahead of school photos next week.
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Parents fume over 'evil' toy
Ms Zreik said the creche staff are blameless insisting they were "amazing" but in her opinion Bunchems have no place in schools, play centres or homes.
Poor Zahia is just one of the many children who've had their hair ruined by Bunchems, which some parents have called the "worst toy ever."
Although once sold in Target and Big W, it appears Bunchems are now only available online through Amazon or Catch.
Hundreds of frustrated parents have left scathing reviews on Amazon, detailing the tantrums and hair disasters they've endured all thanks to Bunchems getting caught in kids' hair.
"A toy spawned from the darkest depths of hell," one angry parent wrote.
"This product is evil, do not buy! They will get stuck in a child’s hair," warned another. "You will spend hours trying to get them out and that’s if you are lucky and don’t have to cut their hair."
'Save yourself the tears'
On Facebook, fed up parents and hairdressers alike have warned against them too, saying the damage done to hair is not worth the risk
"Warning, do NOT let your kids play with bunchems!" a hairdresser posted online last month. "Had a girl who was using them at school. Managed to get them all out after nearly 2 hours!"
Another salon told parents to "save yourself the tears and throw them away" after spending an entire "painstaking day" trying to save a little girl's hair.
"This is a common issue with these toys," they wrote on Facebook. "They really shouldn’t be on the market
The brand's packaging allegedly warns users to keep Bunchems away from hair.
The company, Spin Master, also released a video explaining how best to remove them if ever an incident were to occur.
In the clip, they suggest using vegetable oil and conditioner. The oil is supposed to soften the hair, making it easier to detach it from the spikey toys.
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