Hair has always been the epitome of style statements, expression, and individuality. Yes, it’s an important part of you that makes you feel beautiful and confident. That’s why you want it to be perfect and manageable.
The hair care industry has introduced multiple products to help you do that. For example, hair extensions allow you to change the length of your hair without looking too fake. However, there are certain hair styling products that you shouldn’t invest in.
In this blog, we will discuss three hair styling products that are harmful to your health and hair quality.
Chemicals You Should Be Aware of When Buying a Hair Styling Product
You should look out for the following chemicals on the ingredient label when buying hair styling products:
- Parabens and phthalates: These are used as fragrances in the products and to increase their shelf life. However, continuous use can lead to disruptions in your endocrine system.
- Mineral oil: This chemical is used as a detangler, but exposure can eventually cause issues with the immune system and lead to cancer.
- Sulfates: Hair products have sulfates because these are effective cleansing agents. However, this aggressive chemical can strip away the natural oils in your hair, leading to damage and dullness.
- Formaldehyde: This vapor is used to grow, smoothen, and cleanse hair. However, it can be carcinogenic if absorbed into the skin.
Apart from these, you should also look out for chemicals like alcohol, benzene, polyethylene glycol, synthetic fragrances, and silicones. But remember to choose the products based on your hair’s quality and scalp type.
3 Products You Shouldn’t Use for Hair Styling
Buying the wrong products could have catastrophic consequences for your health. Take a look at these examples to understand why:
#1. Hair Relaxers
Alternatives: Use heat styling methods or get keratin treatments.
A hair relaxer can chemically straighten the hair by breaking down the di-sulfide bonds in the cortex layers. All you need to do is hold your hair in a straight position for it to re-form its shape and pattern.
It sounds like a good product, doesn’t it? But unfortunately, these hair straighteners have a strong chemical mixture of formaldehyde, paraben, and bisphenol A.
When inhaled or absorbed, these chemicals can be catastrophic for your health. The elements can penetrate your skin, leading to cuticle damage, dryness, thinning, etc. It can also lead to chemical burns, irritations, discomfort, and skin whiteness.
Women who used this product developed a higher risk of breast and uterine cancer. Thankfully, they have chosen to take legal action against the hair relaxer manufacturers to get justice.
This hair straightener cancer lawsuit alleges that they failed to adequately warn customers about the potential health hazards. Moreover, the plaintiffs are seeking compensation for medical bills, lost wages, emotional distress, lost quality of life, etc. With proper evidence, the victims could be eligible for individual compensation between USD 100,000 and USD 1,500,000.
According to TorHoerman Law, 8,217 hair relaxer lawsuits are currently pending. These are being consolidated into multi-district litigation (MDL) to minimize redundancy, ensure consistent judgments, streamline discovery, etc.
#2. Hair Volumizer
Alternatives: Use the backcomb method or hot towel therapy.
Hair volumizers can temporarily add shine, texture, and volume to thin hair. It makes the hair look denser, especially if you have a shorter hairstyle. These products can come in various forms, like pomades, conditioners, lotions, shampoos, and sprays.
It works by attracting moisture to your hair due to the presence of humectants. The product also locks in this moisture and swells up the hair strands, making them look thick and shiny.
However, most of the hair volumizers on the market contain harsh chemicals. These include sulfates, parabens, sodium chlorides, and silicone. As a result, the ingredients strip away your hair’s moisture, damage the cuticles, cause split ends, make the hair brittle, etc.
#3. Dry Shampoo
Alternatives: Use baby powder, setting powder, blotting papers, or cornstarch.
Dry shampoos usually come in spray form to be used on uncleaned hair. It contains alcohol or starch that soaks the hair’s oil and grease to make it look clean, fresh, and smell good. The product can also absorb dirt without the need to wash your hair.
However, some dry shampoos contain high levels of benzene. While using the product, you can mistakenly inhale this cancer-causing element. Continuous exposure to this chemical can lead to leukemia, dizziness, convulsions, an irregular heartbeat, etc.
Other than these serious side effects, dry shampoo usage could also lead to hair breakage. Overuse can clog hair follicles, leading to dandruff and hair loss.
In conclusion, you should avoid getting hair styling products that can harm your health. For instance, hair straightening creams and dry shampoo can cause cancer. Moreover, volumizers have chemicals that damage your scalp and hair.
While shopping, you should check the ingredient list and avoid the products if you find certain chemicals. Examples include formaldehyde, phthalates, parabens, etc.
