As I have mentioned in previous blogs, there are so many different myths out there when it comes to hair loss. Some of these myths are extremely far fetched while others are somewhat based on fact. One question we often get from potential clients regarding their hair – “Does Excessive Use Of Hair Chemicals Kill Your Hair?” This is one myth that does have some fact to it.
The obvious thing that you will need to remember – hair is not alive so hair products can not “kill” hair although it may cause hair severe damage. As long as the damage caused by hair products is limited to the hair and not the growing hair follicles below the skin. Damaging hair follicles below the skin can cause hair loss. When inexperienced people apply chemicals such as unsafe dyes or relaxing agents to the hair and scalp, the chemicals may work their way into the growing hair follicle. This can kill the hair follicle at its root. The longer powerful chemicals can stay on the scalp, the deeper they may penetrate the skins pores where the hair follicles are, resulting in permanent hair loss.
Hair styling has become essential not only for women, but also for men on a day to day basis. It could be as simple as using hair sprays, gels or waxes to mind the unruly hair strands, or the hair straightening combs that we use every morning before we start our day.
When you boon to a salon and have treatments such as perming, bleaching or colouring your locks, this could also be a contributing factor to the deterioration of your scalp’s health. No matter good the end results may look, if you neglect your scalp’s health after chemical treatments, it could induce hair thinning earlier than you would expect. Frequent use of heat styling tools can also cause heat damage to the hair shaft. This will eventually cause dryness, thinning, breakage, and hair shedding.
While bleaching our hair to achieve the right colour contrast seems reasonable, it is very important to remember that harsh chemicals such as bleach, for example, can injure and erode our hair cuticles. This can result in thinner hair with every exposure.
The hair can become brittle and more more prone to breakage. If our hair follicles are exposed to hair bleach, it could cause burns and inflammation. This could lead to permanent hair loss.
Such damage is usually temporary in nature. It is also both preventable and treatable. Advancements in the science behind hair and scalp care provide several ways to help revive chemically damaged hair.
The bottom line is you will need to be extra careful with your hair. If you choose to use different chemicals on your head, use them in moderation. Even though I have hereditary hair loss on both sides of my family, I believe certain chemicals I was using in my late teens – early twenties contributed to my early onset. Many years after my hair loss began, I researched this and there was using a specific shampoo and hair spray I was using at the time that I read contributed to hair loss, if used excessively, which I was at the time.
