Did you know that certain ingredients in shampoo can result in hair loss? While there is shampoo for hair loss, there are some that do the exact opposite. It is wise to be on the lookout for common ingredients that are found in shampoos and certain types of products and chemicals that can be related to hair loss. There are also some steps you can take to minimize the risk of losing or causing damage to your hair.
Common Shampoo Ingredients
Hair loss causes can be the result of shampoo alone. Even though shampoo is used to keep your scalp and hair clean, it can avoid irritation to your skin, address scalp and hair conditions, remove previous hair products and much more.
There are a few common shampoo ingredients that you may find in your shampoo, such as:
- Detergents: This helps to remove oil and dirt and includes sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate.
- Conditioners: Ingredients that can help make hair more manageable include propylene glycol and dimethicone.
- Thickeners: These are used to make the shampoo feel thicker but don’t have an impact on cleansing and can include glycol distearate and sodium chloride.
Shampoo Ingredients & Hair Loss
There are certain ingredients and products that can result in hair loss even though they have not been proven to be definite. Some keratin hair smoothing treatments that can take place in a salon contain formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers in them. Many people have reported both scalp irritation and hair loss following the use of these products.
There have also been numerous class-action lawsuits filed against products containing DMDM hydantoin that are linked to possible scalp irritation and hair loss including:
- Unilever TRESemme keratin shampoo and conditioners
- Straight Arrow Products
- Johnson & Johnson OGX shampoo
Hair Loss & Other Hair Products
There have been people that have experienced hair loss following the use of WEN hair products, which has also resulted in class action lawsuits. The FDA launched an investigation into these products and has since released a consumer information notice regarding them. However, the specific ingredients that can cause reactions are not known.
Hair loss has also been reported with DevaCurl hair products. There have also been several lawsuits that accuse DevaCurl products of resulting in scalp irritation, hair loss and breakage.
It is also important to keep in mind that everyone may be affected differently by particular ingredients. Additionally, a settlement doesn’t always mean that a company admitted to their product being at fault.
Tips for Healthier Hair
The type of products you use to wash your hair can have an impact on the health of your hair. To obtain healthy hair, here are a few tips you can consider:
- How often you wash your hair depends on the amount of oil your scalp creates. If you have an oily scalp, your hair may need to be washed more often than a person with a less oily scalp.
- Focus on the cleanliness of your scalp when washing your hair, instead of the length of your hair, which can result in coarse or dull hair.
- Only purchase hair products that are meant for your hair type and avoid sulfate-free shampoo if you are experiencing scalp irritation.