The small, shapeable toys called “Bunchems” are meant to be built together similar to Legos.
On the end of each ball them are tiny little hooks that help keep them latched to one another. They were an entertaining toy for four year old Mayson Calaustero until she decided to build a crown and place it on her head.
That's when the tiny little hooks on each ball became entangled in her hair. The family had to sit for four hours untangling the Bunchems as best they could by hand.
"What was underneath was just shocking you know, just pictures you can see it entangled, just unbelievably entangled," said Mayson's mother, Jaquel Calaustero.
Mayson's parents and grandparents tried everything they could think of – shampoo, cooking oil, even WD-40. They eventually resorted to splitting the balls with wire cutters to get them out.
"Cutting them in half, cutting them down to a third, cutting them down to a quarter and then we could slide the ball -- or part of the ball off," said Vince Calaustero, Mayson's grandfather. "They're devil balls that's all I can say. They're not a toy a child should be playing with."
The Calausteros aren’t the only one with the problem. In the review section of Bunchems on Amazon.com it shows multiple families who have posted pictures of their daughter's hair after they became tangled in their hair.
Some of the parents had to cut of their children's hair because the Bunchems were too tangled to get them out.
"I could not believe after reading everything that that toy is still being sold without anymore consumer preotection notification," said Vince Calausteros.
The toys are recommended for ages four and up with parental supervision and it also has a warning to avoid contact with hair, but the Calausteros say the toys should be removed from the store shelves or made for older aged children.
Thankfully, Mayson's hair didn't have to be cut off completely, but the family said the entire experience was traumatizing for her.
The Calaustero's said they are now warning everyone about the toy, including Mayson who had some sound adivce, "Don't put them in your hair."
The family hopes no other child has to go through what Mayson went through.
