How is your shampoo affecting your scalp?

Hair is an essential part of our beauty, and thus their care is a priority for everyone. However, the task is easier said than done. There are so many factors that influence hair; diet, environment, hair texture, styling techniques etc. People thus invest highly and heavily into hair care.

However, not everyone can afford expensive salons and products. Getting the basics right can make a profound contribution towards hair care without breaking the bank account.  One of the most important factors in hair fundamentals is your shampoo.

Not many people realize the importance of shampooing, rather lack thereof. Yes, everyone wants clean hair, but over-shampooing does more harm than good. Some of the grave consequences of shampooing are enlisted below:

Can potentially lead to hair thinning

Many shampoos contain silicones and different polymers that form a layer on the scalp. These then end up blocking the hair follicle, preventing new hair from coming out.

However, shampoo alone is not always the cause of hair thinning and so try visiting the top dermatologist in Islamabad if the problem has been persisting for some time, even after improving shampooing routine.

Moreover, unfortunately, rewashing hair does not remove these deposits but rather ends up aggravating and increasing the amount of these deposits. According to an expert, the damage done by this buildup due to shampooing can be irreversible as well; the thickness of the deposit layer on the scalp is such that the new hair is unable to push out. This decreases the volume as the follicle remains stuck in the shaft.  Furthermore, it also leads to a non-uniform hair growth as well.

Leads to greasy hair

No one likes greasy hair. Not only do they look unkept if not styled well, but also the texture of the hair also becomes a little icky. Hence, people wash their hair with shampoo to clean out the oil.

However, many people tend to over-do their shampoo routine, and end up very frequently using these harsh shampoos. This ironically causes hair to become even more greasy; shampoo strips off the natural oils from the scalp. As a result, the glands overproduce oil to compensate for the loss.

Thus, those people who rely too much on shampoo suffer from greasier hair.

Makes hair dull and dry

Most of the shampoos contain relatively strong chemicals that are intended for cleaning the scalp. However, this also then strips the important oils from the hair as well, which are responsible for giving hair its shine and luster.

Consequently, hair becomes dry and dull. Not only does it negatively impact the health of the hair, but dry and brittle hair are difficult to style as well.

Hair becomes more prone to tangling

Hair strands that are smooth are less prone to tangling. However, rough and dry hair has more friction and thus becomes more tangled. As excessive shampooing leads to dull and damaged hair, thus tangling also becomes more pronounced.

Tangled hair is extremely difficult to brush. Combing them causes one to pull strongly at the hair, therefore leading to more hair fall.

Porosity of the hair increases

Porosity is the ability of the hair to absorb water. Strands in which cuticles are placed less tightly and have great gaps in them, have high porosity. Moreover, these gaps in the hair also enable moisture loss as well. Consequently, the strands dry out, lose their shine and become brittle.

Shampoo has a profound impact on the porosity of the hair; the chemicals present and the pH of most shampoo damage the cuticles and thus the hair.

Can lead to dandruff as well

Dandruff plagues so many of us. While some people suffer from it due to skin conditions like eczema, however, over washing too can lead to dandruff as well. Dry scalp has greater propensity towards itching.

Most shampoos are strong and are thus detergent-based. Needless to say, excessive washing of hair with shampoos leads to overly dry scalp and clogged pores, thereby resulting in dandruff.

What to look for in the shampoo then:

It is best to use mild shampoos, as the strong ones contain harsh chemicals that do more damage than good. Moreover, use just the very basic shampoos, as the fancier they are, offering more and more benefit like added shine etc., the more chemicals they contain.

These chemicals cause irreversible damage. Thus, instead use conditioners for added luster to the hair.

Change your shampoo routine

Gradually wean yourself off from the excessive use of shampoos; daily washing hair with shampoo is not a good practice. Hence, try decreasing the number of washes with time. If your hair gets too greasy, use dry shampoo to sustain you through the day.

It is very important to address the hair issues, which are very much dependent on the products applied on them. Shampoos are perhaps the most important hair product utilized by everyone, and any misjudgment in it can lead to permanent damage. If changing the shampoo is still not resolving your scalp and hair issues, it is best to contact the top dermatologist in Karachi. Timely expert intervention can save not just your hair, but the subsequent stress that hair damage causes