As we grow older, thinning hair is a natural occurrence that can be addressed with doctor-recommended products, a nutritious diet, and avoiding certain habits such as tight hairstyles, sleeping with wet hair, and using conditioners that contain silicones, fragrances, or alcohol.
Seeking advice from hairstylists and professionals, we delved into the reasons why women with thinning hair tend to gravitate towards conditioners with these ingredients, despite their potential negative effects on already delicate and lifeless hair.
Furthermore, we inquired about the detrimental impact these products can have on thin or flat tresses, and more beneficial ingredients to prioritize instead.
Read on for tips and suggestions from Dr. Enrizza P. Factor, dermatologist and writer at My Eczema Team, Dr. Elaine Kung, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Future Bright Dermatology, Dr. Rebecca Hilton, hair expert at J-Beauty, Shandi Nichelle, professional hairstylist and founder and CEO of Freewell and Ghanima Abdullah, hair expert and cosmetologist at The Right Hairstyles.
3 Shampoo Ingredients That Often Exacerbate Hair Loss And Thinning
1. Silicones
Silicones, commonly found in shampoos, are often portrayed as beneficial due to their ability to enhance shine and gloss.
However, Factor stresses, their detrimental impact on scalp health should not be ignored as they can stifle its ability to receive necessary nourishment.
"Silicones in shampoo can cause hair loss by coating the scalp so that nutrients cannot be absorbed," she warns.
2. Fragrances
A fragrance is another ingredient found in hair products like conditioner that can heavily irritate your scalp, Abdullah notes. "Fragrance is often not one ingredient, but a compendium of ingredients in low concentrations that the manufacturer doesn't want to list directly on the ingredients," she warns.
"Because there is very little government oversight with personal care products, 'fragrance' can be anything," she adds. "Fragrance doesn't cause dandruff per se, as it causes a wide range of allergies and dandruff can be one of them," she says, and an irritated scalp can lead to hair loss.
3. Alcohol
When it comes to alcohol as a '"toxic" ingredient for fine, thinning and flat hair, Nichelle notes that this is often found in conditioners that advertise volume. "Volume conditioners often contain alcohol to help control or offset the heavier ingredients in a conditioner," she explains.
Still, she notes that the cons outweigh the pros here. "The short-term result may be more volume in your fine hair, but the alcohol dries and damages hair in the long term." She also points out that alcohol "cancels out the benefits of other ingredients in your conditioner."
Healthier Conditioner Ingredients To Look For Instead
1. Biotin
Biotin (aka vitamin B₇) is an important nutrient often found in foods like eggs, broccoli, bananas and milk. Many people take biotin as a supplement as they age, Abdullah explains, to strengthen their tresses.
If also using a shampoo with biotin as a main ingredient, one can really reap the benefits of this vitamin in more ways than one. “Biotin is the ingredient to look for in shampoo if you want thicker, fuller, healthier hair,” Abdullah says.
Abdullah highlights the benefits of incorporating biotin-infused shampoo into one's hair care routine, which includes enhancing hair growth, relieving discomfort associated with itchy hair, and mitigating other hair conditions commonly experienced during the winter season.
“Not only can it be taken as a supplement, but when used in shampoo the ingredient goes directly into the hair follicles.”
2. Saw Palmetto
Incorporating saw palmetto into your shampoo can prove to be advantageous in reducing hair loss, Hilton says, as it is a highly sought-after ingredient in the realm of hair care.
"Saw palmetto is a natural extract from the berries of the Serenoa repens plant and has been used for centuries for the treatment of various conditions including hair loss," she explains.
Hilton adds that "saw palmetto works by blocking the production of DHT," which helps to "reduce hair shedding." Kung concurs, and points out that because saw palmetto is a DHT blocker, it is "helpful in the treatment of female pattern baldness that can become quite apparent when a woman is in her 40s." Good to know!
