What Chemicals Cause Hair Loss

Bleaches And Hair Dyes

If you have dark hair, you might have used bleach and dye before to lighten its tone and change its color.

While most bleaches and hair dyes arent dangerous when used as recommended, some dyes and other coloring products may weaken your hair if overused, which could cause or contribute to hair thinning and noticeable hair loss.

Many dyes and hair coloring products can also cause other problems, including scalp irritation, redness, flaky skin and even blisters. If you have sensitive skin, even a small amount of direct exposure to some dyes may be enough to leave your scalp feeling itchy and uncomfortable.

To reduce your risk of hair loss or scalp irritation, follow the instructions provided with any dyes and other coloring products carefully, or get your hair bleached and colored by an experienced professional.

No Lye Relaxers Can Still Cause Damage

Many consumers falsely believe that relaxers without lye are safe. But, in place of lye, these relaxers rely on other powerful chemicals, namely calcium hydroxide and guanidine carbonate, to effectively break the chemical bonds of the hair shaft. Therefore, âno lyeâ relaxers should be used with as much care as other chemical relaxers. Itâs recommended that all relaxers be applied by a trained professional.

If youâre concerned about hair loss caused by chemical relaxers, Hair Club can help. Schedule your free, private consultation with one of our hair loss experts. Youâll learn about your level of hair loss, the condition of your scalp and which of our proven solutions is right for you.

Culprit : Products That Dry You Out

Take a look at what you’re using daily. Your shampoo may contain a harsh ingredient like polyethylene glycol, which can stress your hair and make it brittle. Ingredients in your styling product can do the same thing.

Alcohol can especially dry your hair out, says Albert Julian, a master barber based in NYC. This leaves it weak and susceptible to breakage.

Pro tips: look for styling products that say “alcohol-free” on the label, and are water-based. Water-based products wash out the most easily, so you don’t have to shampoo more than you would anyway. Or if you want to be uber-gentle, style with a leave-in conditionerJulian likes the spray from Bed Head for Men.

But even if your hair suffers a bit of damage, guys who favor close haircuts get a pass.

“Yes, the ends can dry out or become brittle,” says Julian. “But guys who wear their hair shorter, they clip that damage right off.”

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Diffusion Into Keratin Fibers

There are two main ways for a substance to penetrate the hair fiber: Transcellular and intercellular diffusion, transcellular diffusion envolves epicuticle, A-layer, exocuticle, endocuticle and is much harder path way because of the high cross-linked regions. Intercellular diffusion envolves the intercellular cement, and it is the preferred route for large molecules because the low-sulfur and nonkeratin proteins are more easily swollen. Both routes can occur depending on the size of the molecule, hair damage and cosmetic system of the applied product.

Diffusion rate into keratin fibers depends on the cross-link density of hair. Reactions like bleaching, that decreases the cross-link density increases the rate of transcellular diffusion, meaning that bleached hair is more rapid penetrated by conditioners, dyes, hair straightening substances or any product applied to the hair fiber. However, penetration into the intercellular regions can lead to scale lifting and cause hair damage. Scale lifting is induced by the deposit of insoluble cationic-anionic complex, meaning which can occur because of the interaction and bonding of the anionic surfactants of the shampoo with the cationic conditioning ingredients.

Strong Hold Hair Styling Products

Although technically not chemicals, some hair styling products may damage your hair follicles and cause a form of hair loss called traction alopecia.

This type of hair loss occurs when your hair follicles are pulled on, such as by dreadlocks, hair extensions or styles that may also rely on strong hold products. Even an overly tight ponytail can cause this form of hair loss, earning it the nickname ponytail hair loss.

If you style your hair using gel, wax or mousse, try replacing strong hold products with products that give your hair a softer texture and put less pressure on your hair shaft.

Alternatively, try going without any styling products and either wearing your hair down or in a loose ponytail every other day.

Read Also: How To Prevent Hair Loss For Teenage Guys Naturally

Harmful Chemicals In Shampoos That Cause Hair Loss

Hair is precious and no one wants to lose them to harmful chemicals present in shampoos and hair products. Dermatologists across the globe believe that witnessing a lot of hair strands in the shower should – amongst other things – make us look critically at our hair product choices. If this warning is ignored, the hair fall can become so chronic that you will need a toupee wig for men or hair wigs for women to cover it!

It is quite normal to lose 50 to 100 hair strands a day but more than that means something is wrong. And a lot of times, its the chemicals in our shampoos and hair products that start hair fall. In this blog, Lordhair will help you identify chemicals present in shampoos leading to hair damage that can evolve to full-blown baldness.

Lets start!

Note: If your hair loss is pretty extreme already, we highly recommend you to check out our collection of hair systems

Is your shampoo causing hair loss?

However, as we will outline there are several chemicals in shampoo that cause hair loss that you should be wary of. When you learn what other types of products these chemicals are found in, you will understand why they can be so harmful to your hair.

Below are 7 harmful chemicals found in shampoo that cause hair loss.

Thallium And Hair Loss

The primary way in which youre exposed to thallium is through air pollution with the burning of fossil fuels. Thallium is naturally occurring in petroleum.

Its also found in rodenticides . However, thallium is also used in a range of manufacturing processes such as optical lenses, semiconductors, and imitation jewelry.

Thallium accumulates in your system and can induce extensive hair loss that affects your scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, and limbs. Rodenticides containing thallium have been implicated in inducing massive hair loss .

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Patchy Or Circular Bald Spots

A common sign of hair loss is alopecia areata, defined by FamilyDoctor.org as hair loss occurring in small round patches on the head.

According to FamilyDoctor.org, A mild case of alopecia areata starts with one to two coin-sized hairless patches. The same source notes that hair loss often stops after that.

Notwithstanding the good news that hair often grows back, FamilyDoctor.org notes that there is no guarantee: The condition is unpredictable, and the cycle of hair loss and regrowth can repeat itself.

How Shampoo Leads To Hair Loss

Long, lustrous and glossy locks of hair that swish with the gentle breeze and accentuates the look of any outfit – that’s the beauty of well maintained and beautiful mane of thick hair. Yet, many of us suffer from hair loss due to poor diet, too many chemicals in our hair care products, stressful living and a fast paced urban lifestyle where we are not left with enough time to take care of your hair.

Did you know that your shampoo can also lead to hair loss? There are harmful chemical additives, detergent like substances which can make the follicles weak and lead to breakage, as well as other ingredients that can lead to hair loss. Here’s how:

The health of your hair depends on the kind of products you use, so it is important to look at the ingredients before you invest in a good shampoo and conditioner.

Read Also: How Do You Stop Hair Loss From Stress

Solution: Control The Heat

I highly recommend everyone uses heated hair tools that have a temperature gauge, so you can lower it, says the hair stylist Neil Moodie. This will cause less stress to the hair shaft. Ghds Helios Hairdryer and Dysons Supersonic are two great examples, while avoiding going over the same section of hair with a temperature-controlled pair of straighteners or curling iron can help minimise the damage too. You should also double the protection by using a heat defence spray and towel dry your hair gently but thoroughly before picking up your tools to minimise the time spent using them.

You Have Female Or Malepattern Baldness

You might already know about malepattern baldness, a type of hair loss caused by a combo of genes and male sex hormones that usually makes the hair on a man’s head recede at the temples, leaving an Mshaped hairline.

But hormone-related hairloss for femalesor femalepattern baldnessis also a thing, according to the US National Institute of Health. This type of hair loss occurs when the hair follicle shrinks so much over time that it doesn’t grow new hair. In women, the symptoms of femalepattern baldness includes a widening of the center hair part, and, sometimes, coarser hair on the face.

The only FDAapproved treatment for female and malepattern hair is minoxidil , but if that doesn’t work, your doctor may prescribe oral medications such as finasteride that can halt hair loss or even cause some to grow surgery to transplant or graft hair is also an option.

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How To Stop This

Limiting your use of dry shampoo is the best way to ensure that you do not face a huge build-up of dry shampoo at the root of your hair, inhibiting growth and potentially causing hair loss. Try using dry shampoo twice a week at the maximum and make sure that you are shampooing and cleaning your hair twice a week at a minimum. This will make sure that your roots are kept clean and there is a limited amount of dry shampoo build up.

Men And Women Suffering From Hair Loss Should Avoid Hair Products Made From Damaging Chemicals And Toxins

It seems no one is satisfied with the hair he or she was born with, so we spend countless hours coloring, relaxing, perming and changing it in every way imaginable. However, the chemicals in your hair products could be doing some serious damage, especially if you are already suffering from hair loss or thinning hair. Maybe its time to make the switch to all-natural hair products.

Chemicals in hair products

Chemicals are found in almost every type of hair product: relaxers, hair dyes, hair extension adhesives, and even many shampoos and conditioners. These chemicals can cause immediate damage such as when a relaxer, bleach or hair color is used improperly or kept on the hair for too long. Overprocessing can result in burning, itching, redness, irritation and, unfortunately, hair loss. Some hair products can cause slow-developing issues instead, such as when a shampoo strips your hair of its natural oils, leaving it looking and feeling damaged and unhealthy.

Ammonia. Everyone knows the smell of ammonia. This chemical is used as a reducing agent in relaxers and perms. If you leave ammonia on your hair for too long, it can cause the hair to fall out or break off. As expected, this is especially true for thinning hair.

Hydrogen peroxide. High amounts of hydrogen peroxide, which is used to create the chemical reaction that allows hair color to penetrate the hair, can leave the hair dry, damaged and brittle.

Benefits of natural hair products

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The Causes Of Hair Loss In Women

In an article published by WebMD.com, the online publisher of news and information relating to human health and well-being, Tammy Worth writes, The best way to think of the way hair grows is to picture a garden.

She adds, How well it grows is completely a result of what is happening underground.

This means that instead of focusing on the hair being lost, it is vital to go deeper and determine the underlying causes, in the same manner, you would if your garden was not yielding the harvest you anticipated.

Below are some of the most common reasons your hair is falling out faster than it should.

Handle Your Hair With Care

Once your hair is relaxed, it requires some TLC. Handle it delicately and give your strands extra hydration. Regularly moisturize your hair by deep conditioning it weekly. And, limit the use of heat styling tools like flat irons and blow dryers. Applying heat can further weaken chemically-treated hair and cause breakage. Youâll also want to stay away from tight braids and ponytails that pull at the hairline. In fact, continuously wearing tight styles that tug on your hairline can cause a type of hair loss called traction alopecia.

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Are There Ways To Regain Hair Youve Lost

It depends on the type of hair loss.

If your hair follicles are scarred , they may be too damaged to regrow hair. This can happen from some chemicals, hair trauma, and certain medical conditions.

Hair loss that doesnt scar can happen for different reasons, like natural aging and certain medical conditions. Depending on the situation, this type of hair loss can be reversible.

If you are losing hair for whatever reason its important to see a dermatologist to find out the cause and to start treatment.

Thallium Mercury And Other Metals

In addition to chemotherapy medications, some heavy metals are toxic to your hair follicles and may cause anagen effluvium hair loss.

Heavy metals that are linked with anagen effluvium include boron, thallium, mercury, cadmium, copper and bismuth. Many of these metals are used in jewelry, consumer products and some industrial supplies and equipment.

While you might need to look out for these metals if you work in an industrial environment, they arent used in hair care products and as such, arent a major risk for most people.

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What You Can Do For Healthier Hair

How you wash your hair and the products you use can affect the health of your hair. Here are some tips to get healthy hair:

• How often you wash your hair depends on how much oil your scalp makes. An oily scalp may need to be washed every day, but with less oil, less washing may be needed.

• When washing your hair, focus on cleaning mainly your scalp, not the length of your hair which can make it dull and coarse.

• Choose products specific for your hair type . Using a sulfate-free shampoo may also help if you have sensitive skin or are getting scalp irritation.

• Protect your hair when swimming.

• Minimize things that can damage your hair, like coloring, blow-drying, and curling.