Will silicone cause baldness? Are "surfactants" more toxic? How to choose shampoo without going overboard?
Will silicone absorb hair nutrients and cause baldness? Expert: “Surface active agents” are more harmful to the scalp
In recent years, many shampoo, hair care or hair growth products claim to be free of “silicone”. Many past news reports have claimed that silicone can affect the hair’s ability to absorb nutrients, and even block hair follicles or cause baldness. Does silicone really cause harm to the scalp? Or is it related to other ingredients in shampoo products?
Professor Zhao Mingwei, associate professor of the Department of Biotechnology of Chung Yuan University, said that the main structure of silicone is “silicon”, which is a chemical substance with a stable structure and is not as likely to cause harm to the human body as acidic or alkaline components. Therefore, if the dosage of silicone in shampoo products is not high, it will not have any significant impact on the skin or hair.
Professor Zhao Mingwei explained that the main ingredient in shampoo is actually “surfactant”, whose main function is to clean grease and dirt. However, long-term exposure to surfactants may cause damage to the skin. Some women like to go to the store to wash their hair, which lasts for 3 or 4 hours. Prolonged contact of the surfactant with the scalp may cause skin allergies. Professor Zhao Mingwei suggested that you should wash your hair for an appropriate time to avoid damaging the scalp.
How to choose hair shampoo and hair care products? Those with skin care effects will be given priority
Professor Zhao Mingwei said that whether it is shampoo or shampoo, surfactants will be added. If you are worried about surfactants harming your scalp but want to have a scalp care effect, you can choose shampoo products with “skin care” ingredients and ingredients that protect the scalp, such as lotions. In addition, if you are accustomed to using shampoo, if your scalp is prone to dryness, you should rinse off the foam to prevent surfactant residues.
Some people think that if you are afraid of shampoo products with too many chemicals, you can use baby shampoo instead. Professor Zhao Mingwei said that the surfactant in infant shampoo has been diluted and has a weak effect on fighting oil and dirt. It may not be able to achieve a cleansing effect on the scalps of some ethnic groups. In fact, if you rinse the shampoo thoroughly every time you wash your hair, there is no need to worry too much about the remaining ingredients.
Shampoo contains many chemical ingredients. Apply it to your palms to lather before washing.
Professor Zhao Mingwei said that there are hundreds of shampoo and hair care products, but it is actually difficult to find those with extremely low chemical content. If you don’t want your scalp to be seriously affected, you might as well rub the shampoo on your palms before applying it, wait until it forms a foam, and then spread it evenly on your scalp. One-time exposure to high doses of chemicals can be avoided.
Professor Zhao Mingwei said that the first principle of protecting the skin is to avoid small area contact with high-dose ingredients, so first rub the shampoo product in the palm of your hand to expand the contact area as much as possible to reduce the possibility of surfactant residues or even damage to the scalp. It is indeed a reasonable approach.
