"One mistake you can make in the shower that may be harmful to your hair is using shampoos with irritating ingredients such as sulfates," Dr. Bauman told SheFinds.
"While sulfates may help to cleanse buildup, hair products, dirt and oil from your hair, they may also disrupt the natural moisture balance at the level of the scalp causing inflammation--especially if your scalp is particularly dry. Sulfates can also make your hair dry and brittle, leading to hair breakage."
Sulfates are chemicals that are frequently used as cleansing agents, and they actually have a great ability to deeply clean your hair and scalp. But just because sulfates are good at what they do, doesn't mean you should use a sulfate-based shampoo.
Because of how deeply sulfates clean, they can actually harm your hair. Our hair needs a certain level of natural oils to stay hydrated and healthy. So if you're over-cleansing with sulfates, you may be inadvertently drying out your hair and causing it to thin and fall out.
"Proper scalp and hair hygiene is critical for healthy hair growth," Dr. Bauman added. "Symptoms of itchy scalp or dandruff, excessive oil or dryness of the scalp can also be signs of poor scalp health and put you at risk for excessive shedding."
"Proper scalp and hair hygiene is critical for healthy hair growth," Dr. Bauman added. "Symptoms of itchy scalp or dandruff, excessive oil or dryness of the scalp can also be signs of poor scalp health and put you at risk for excessive shedding."
You should look for a shampoo with nourishing ingredients that restore and hydrate while also cleaning. Rosemary oil is often recommended by dermatologists as an excellent shampoo ingredient, along with coconut oil, green tea, honey and aloe vera.
However, if your hair is still becoming increasingly thin even while using a nourishing shampoo, the damage may be caused by a different source.
Dr. Bauman explained that there are several factors behind many cases of hair loss, such as genetics, stress, hormones, poor nutrition and even illnesses like COVID-19.
And, these "intrinsic," or internal factors, are just a few of many more causes of hair loss. There is also risk of "extrinsic," or external factors.
"Interruption of normal hair follicle function causing excessive or chronic shedding over time is often a sign of a hair loss condition," Dr. Bauman explained. "Excessive hair loss can be a result of environmental assaults such as toxins, UV exposure, pollution, as well as hair styling habits which use heat and harmful chemicals. These “extrinsic” factors cause oxidative stress, irritation, and inflammation that essentially interrupt and possibly injure the follicles over time."