Ever wondered why shampoo quickly turns into foam when mixed with water? The answer, for many supermarket shampoos, is the inclusion of chemical foaming agents like sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate.
Known commonly as sulfates, these ingredients help shampoo mix into water, creating the foamy texture — the lather — you get when you massage shampoo into your hair and scalp. Sulfates are commonly found in mass-market shampoos, including most of the brands you’ll find in your local supermarket.
At low concentrations, sulfates are considered safe to use. However, frequent use of products with a high concentration of sulfates may lead to buildup, which can contribute to cell damage and excess stripping away of natural oils and hair proteins.
From a hair care perspective, this definitely isn’t a good thing. This guide looks at how the most commonly used shampoo sulfates can affect your hair, as well as the key reasons why you should avoid shampoos that contain chemical sulfates.
What Are Sulfates in Shampoo?
From a chemical perspective, sulfates are surfactants. Their job is to reduce the level of surface tension between your shampoo and your skin, allowing the active ingredients in the shampoo to do a more effective job of cleaning dirt, oil and dead skin from your scalp and hair.
A variety of products contain sulfates, from shampoo to liquid dish soap and laundry detergent. When used in shampoo, ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate amplify the shampoo’s effects, allowing it to strip away more of the things that make your hair oily and uncomfortable.
Are Sulfates in Shampoo Bad for Hair?
Sulfates are “good” in the sense that they make shampoo far more effective. But they’re bad in the sense that they can have too much of a cleansing effect on your scalp and hair, resulting in excess stripping away of naturally occurring proteins and oils.
There have also been rumors over the years that sulfates (including sodium lauryl sulfate, the most common sulfate in hair products) can potentially cause cancer.
Luckily, these rumors aren’t backed up by any scientific evidence. The sulfates used in shampoo and other hair care products are not known carcinogens, and there are currently no scientific studies that show any link between sulfates and cancer.
Still, sulfates can potentially cause damage to your hair when overused, ranging from hair protein removal to irritated, itchy skin. So, will those sulfates kill you? Probably not. But can they kill your hair? Well…
(Related: Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss?)
What Does Sulfate Do to Your Hair?
At this point, you’ve read about the effects of sulfates on hair, and you don’t have to be a cosmetic chemist to understand that healthy hair and product buildup don’t mix. Now you’re ready to dive into just how bad they are.
Sulfates can cause a range of damage to your hair. For starters, they can trigger protein removal and contact dermatitis — the former, a long-term problem, and the latter, a short-term one. These cleansing agents can contribute to problems like dryness and require a dermatological intervention with medicated shampoos and skincare agents to address.
But let’s dig deeper on this.
Sulfates and Hair Protein Removal
Hair is made of protein — in fact, hair itself is a protein filament. When the protein that makes up each of your hairs is damaged, it can weaken the hair, affecting its strength and appearance.
Sulfates are closely linked with damage to hair protein because, along with the grime, these cleansing agents can also wash away your healthy hair — almost literally.
One study from 2005 showed that hair immersed in a sodium dodecyl sulfate solution loses two times as much protein as hair immersed in water. This can lead to split ends, breakage and hair that’s difficult to manage.
This problem may affect different hair types differently — fine hair and color-treated hair might be more susceptible than curly hair.
Because of this, sulfates are best avoided if you want to optimize your hair’s health, appearance and strength.
Sulfates and Contact Dermatitis
As a dermatology professional will tell you, sulfates not only strip hair protein. In some people, they can cause severe skin irritation and a painful allergic rash — a condition called contact dermatitis.
Studies suggest that people with low levels of ceramides — a type of waxy lipid molecule found in your skin cells — are more likely to experience skin irritation and contact dermatitis after exposure to sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate.
Not everyone will experience skin rashes or dermatitis after using shampoo or conditioner that contains sulfates. Still, it’s best to avoid shampoos that contain sulfates just in case, as there’s nothing fun about dealing with a scalp rash and the resulting itchy scalp.
(Related: 9 Causes of Hair Thinning In Men)
Do Sulfates Cause Hair Loss?
No, sulfates do not directly cause hair loss. While sulfates aren’t directly linked to male pattern baldness, they’re best avoided if you have sensitive skin or naturally thin hair.
A combination of hormones and genetics cause male pattern baldness — namely, a genetic sensitivity to something called dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. Sulfates aren’t currently known to affect scalp DHT levels and, as such, aren’t directly linked to pattern hair loss in men.
However, sulfates can be indirectly linked to male hair loss. If you’re susceptible to skin irritation from sulfates, you could temporarily lose hair as a result of irritation, turning those particular cleansers into hair loss shampoos. It’s also possible for protein loss from excessive exposure to sulfates to weaken your hair, making breakage more likely.
The Verdict on Sulfate in Shampoos
If you’ve made the decision to avoid sulfates, you’re in luck: reducing your level of exposure to sulfates is simple — just switch from your current shampoo to a sulfate-free option.
But there are some takeaways to leave you with before you go trashing stuff in your bathroom:
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Compared to sulfate-based shampoos, sulfate-free shampoos can feel a little different. There’s less of a foaming, bubbling effect, meaning it can require some extra water to rinse sulfate-free shampoo from your hair.
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Sulfate-free shampoos can also feel less intense, meaning you may not get the “cleansed” feeling you would from a typical shampoo. The shampoo is still effective, but the lack of foaming chemicals can mean it doesn’t have such a pronounced feel on your scalp.
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It’s also worth reading the ingredient label on your other products — from body wash to toothpaste and conditioner — as many mass-market conditioners use ingredients like sodium lauryl sulfate or sodium dodecyl sulfate.
Sulfate-free products like hair thickening shampoo, volumizing shampoo, or dandruff zinc shampoo are great options to start with.
One final word: switching your shampoo isn’t all you can (or should) do. You may also want to explore other forms of hair loss treatment to supplement your shampoo.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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The Norwood Scale: What are the 7 Stages of Hair Loss?
Hair loss may all look the same to you. It’s either bald spots, a receding hairline, thinning hair or worst, all of the above.
So it might be surprising to find out there’s a scale devoted to determining the level of male pattern baldness. Why would anyone want to measure hair loss?
While balding can be alarming and stressful, it’s not something that happens all at once. Instead of suddenly waking up without any hair, most guys go bald gradually over years and decades.
Unfortunately, many men fail to notice their hair loss — and more importantly, to take action and treat it — until it’s too late.
That’s where the Norwood scale comes in. Below, we’ve explained how the scale works and listed the seven stages you may go through if you’re losing your hair.
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The Norwood Scale (also called the Hamilton-Norwood scale) is a seven stage classification system that’s used to measure and categorize the different stages of male pattern baldness.
Men affected by hair loss typically don’t lose their hair evenly from across their entire scalp. Instead, hair loss caused by male pattern baldness follows a specific pattern — yes, that explains the name — that begins in a specific area.
Originally developed by James Hamilton, the scale was updated by Dr. O’Tar Norwood, a dermatologist and hair transplant surgeon, who revised Hamilton’s classification after he saw different patterns of hair loss in men.
The Norwood hair scale has seven stages that measure the severity and pattern of hair loss.
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Norwood stage 1 involves no significant hair loss or hairline recession, or just a little bit of hair loss.
Many men have a Norwood 1 pattern before experiencing some level of hair loss as they age. Although it’s uncommon, some men maintain a Norwood Type 1 hair pattern for their entire lives.
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A Norwood 2 stage is when you start to notice the loss of hair. At this stage, the early signs of the common M-, V- or U-shaped hairline begin to appear.
Many men notice the first signs of hair loss when their hairline begins to recede around the temples. This might also be called a mature hairline.
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Norwood Type 3 men’s hair loss is much more visible. During this stage, the hairline recedes more and takes on a clear M or V shape.
Some men develop a receding hairline accompanied by small balding areas on the scalp, also called a Norwood 3 hairline.
Men with hair that’s classified as Norwood 3 have visible, obvious hair loss at the temples and the frontal area of the scalp.
Some men with a Norwood Type 3 hairline also experience hair loss at the crown, or vertex. This is referred to as Norwood Type 3 vertex hair loss. Men with more significant hair loss around the frontal area of the scalp may be classified as having a Norwood Type 3A hair loss pattern.
While Type 2 areas of hair loss are usually easy to conceal with the right haircut, Norwood Type 3 hair loss is much more difficult to hide.
(Related: Do Hair Growth Products Work?)
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Norwood 4 hair loss is more severe and obvious. Men with hair loss in this stage have lots of hair loss around the hairline, giving it an obvious bald appearance.
They also have sparse hair, or even no hair, on the vertex scalp, or top of the head.
Many men with stage four hair loss have a thick strip of hair that separates their hairline from the balding area around their crown.
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As hair loss progresses to a Norwood 5, the band of hair separating your hairline and crown becomes smaller and thinner.
In this stage, you’ll have significant, obvious hair loss around your hairline and crown.
Some men develop Norwood Type 5A hair loss, with more significant hair loss on the scalp and less of a separating band between the hairline and crown.
For many men affected by balding, this is when the classic horseshoe pattern of hair loss becomes more visible.
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Norwood Type 6 hair loss is very severe. By this stage, you’ll have lost almost all of the hair that previously made up your hairline and vertex scalp, or crown.
There may still be a band of hair to separate these areas, but it will be sparse and thin.
Although you may still have some hair across your scalp, coverage will be minimal and your scalp will be clearly visible through your hair in all lighting conditions.
By a Norwood 6 stage, the classic horseshoe pattern of hair on the back and sides of your head is easy to see.
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Norwood 7 hair loss is the most severe form of hair loss. By this stage, almost none of the hair on your scalp will be left, aside from a few stray hairs or small areas with relatively mild hair growth.
At this point, the classic horseshoe pattern of hair around the back and sides of your head will be all that’s left. This hair may be relatively fine and lacking in density.
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If you want to be proactive and try to get ahead of your hair loss (or know when to start treatment), you can use this system to track your hair loss.
Your first move when you start noticing hair loss should be to make an appointment with a certified dermatologist or healthcare provider who specializes in hair loss.
But, if you’d rather monitor the situation yourself before calling in the heavy artillery, we recommend taking a series of reference photos to use as a visual baseline and track any changes in your hairline over the next few months or years:
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Take one photo of your hairline. Make sure your face and hairline are well-lit, as it can be hard to see your hairline clearly in a poorly lit or underexposed photo. Tilt your head forward slightly so that your hairline and the top of your head are both visible.
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Next, take a photo of your face profile (the side view of your face) by putting your smartphone on a shelf and using the self-timer to take a photo of yourself. This will show any change in your hairline around the temples.
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Then take a photo of the top of your head by holding your smartphone above you using a selfie stick, then using the front camera. Or ask another person to take your photo. This will show any hair loss on your scalp and crown.
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Finally, take a photo of the back of your head. You can do this using a selfie stick, or by asking someone else to take your photo. This will provide a clear view of any hair loss at the crown of your scalp.
Every two to three months, take a new set of photos and check for any changes. To make sure you keep regular photos of your hair, you can set a reminder for every other month using your phone calendar.
You can compare each set of photos to Norwood scale hair. If your hair has advanced from one stage to the next, it’s a good signal that you’re losing your hair and should think about taking action.
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Before we get into how to treat each type of hair loss on the Norwood hair scale, you should know a bit about the causes of hair loss.
A variety of factors can cause your hair to start thinning or to develop a receding hairline. But one of the top causes is genetics.
Certain people have hair follicles that are more sensitive to the hormone dihydrotestosterone (or DHT, a naturally occurring male steroid hormone that’s converted from testosterone) than others.
For people with hair follicles that are sensitive to DHT, even normal amounts of the hormone can cause hair follicles to shrink and eventually fail to grow, which creates the horseshoe-shaped hair pattern that many bald men have.
This hereditary hair loss — also called androgenetic alopecia or male pattern hair loss — can be more difficult, but not impossible, to treat.
Other reasons why men go bald can include stress, aging, diet, medical conditions and more.
(Related: How to Get Rid of Bald Spots)
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The earlier you take action to treat and prevent hair loss, the more of your hair you’ll usually be able to keep.
If you notice your hair advancing from one Norwood type to the next, or if you notice a receding hairline or other common early signs of balding, take action as soon as possible. If you treat your hair loss while you’re still Norwood 2 or 3, you may be able to keep most or all of your hair.
As hair loss progresses to the later stages, it becomes more difficult to treat effectively, even via surgical procedures such as hair transplantation.
At Norwood 3 or 4 stage you should start looking into hair loss treatment options. The most common treatments are medications known as finasteride and minoxidil, which have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and can slow down or stop further hair loss.
These medications work in different ways. Finasteride (sold under the brand name Propecia) blocks testosterone from being converted into DHT and encourages new hair growth.
Also sold as Rogaine, minoxidil works by moving your hair follicles into a state of active growth and stimulating blood flow to your scalp. Essentially, minoxidil keeps the hair growth cycle going by encouraging new hair growth on your head.
If you have Norwood Type 5 hair loss though, your treatment options are much more limited than they are if you have milder Norwood 4 hair loss.
Medications like minoxidil and finasteride may help to prevent your hair loss from getting worse, but it’s important not to expect miracles from medication when your hair loss is relatively severe.
At Norwood stage 5, hair transplant surgery might be a viable option to add some coverage to your scalp and hairline. Two common hair transplant options are follicular unit extraction (FUE) and follicular unit transplantation (FUT).
Beyond Norwood stages 6 and 7, however, is when hair loss is very difficult to treat and medications might not have much of an impact.
There’s still one option: shave your head and own the fact that you’re bald.
Not only does Mr. Clean look unapologetically masculine, but it’s also a simple way to save money that you’d otherwise spend on haircuts.
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Although not perfect, healthcare professionals and hair transplant surgeons commonly refer to stages of the Norwood scale to diagnose and treat hair loss in men.
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The Norwood hair scale measures male pattern baldness in seven stages to determine the severity and pattern of hair loss.
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Norwood stages 1 and 2 signify early signs of hair loss, with either no signs of balding or the beginnings of a receding hairline and noticeable bald spots.
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Stages 3 through 5 indicate more significant hair loss and recession of the hairline, while almost all your hair is gone in stages 6 and 7 of hair loss.
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Early Norwood stages are receptive to treatment from medications like finasteride and minoxidil. Later stages may require hair transplants, although these aren’t always a guaranteed solution.
This article originally appeared on Hims.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org.
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Testosterone and Hair Loss: What’s the Link?
https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/testosterone-and-hair-loss-whats-the-link/ar-BB1n4IdB
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Featured Image Credit: Mintra Kwthijak/istockphoto.
