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Thinning hair can stem from a number of sources, whether it be the natural predisposition of your scalp or even a bad reaction to certain products you’re using. While hairspray is something found in most women’s beauty lineups as it is great for maintaining styles and ensuring volume on flat roots, certain ingredients found in hairspray may actually be inflicting more damage on your hair than good. If you’re struggling with hair loss and aren’t sure of the cause, check your hairspray bottle to make sure you’re avoiding this one ingredient that may be the culprit of your hair struggles.
While many hairspray’s contain alcohol as an ingredient, and it typically does not damage the hair, certain alcohols can have an adverse effect, compromising the safety of your locks. Bill Edwards, CEO of Regenix and Hair Loss Prevention Specialist explains, “There are two dangers with using hairspray - harmful chemicals, and frequent use without proper cleansing. There are a few different types of alcohol - some that are damaging to hair and others that are nourishing. Ethanol, for example, is very harmful to hair as it will dry out the hair by stripping valuable oils away. Over time it can make the cuticle of the hair dry and brittle which causes frizziness and breakage.”
Dry and brittle hair is naturally more prone to breakage, which can be dangerous if you’re concerned about fallout and thinning hair. Dawn Clemens, a hairstylist, beauty blogger, and founder of LarweHair notes, “Ethanol is one such type of alcohol which is used in hair sprays and it causes dryness. This specific ingredient is seriously damaging for hair. It can also cause irritation in the scalp. Hence, I recommend reading the product’s label before you decide to purchase the bottle. Instead of purchasing ethanol based hairsprays, I suggest you get your hands on a bottle that contains cetearyl, stearyl or cetyl alcohol as they help to moisturise the hair.”
Another factor that may cause hair fallout from your hairspray is the state your hair is in when you apply it. “Using hair spray often without shampooing it out can lead to build-up and attract other environmental debris that upon seeping into the follicle entranceway, can have a negative impact on the health of the hair,” Edwards says. If you’re gearing up to coat your locks with some extra hold, make sure you’re applying it to clean strands to avoid buildup which can lead to future damage and hair loss.
Hairspray is a great tool to keep in your kit to lock down stray hair and maintain your style for hours. However, if you want to enjoy the benefits of this product, it’s important to prioritize quality ingredients and try to avoid bogging down your scalp with buildup so that you can achieve the good hair day you deserve, instead of suffering from brittle locks and fallout.
