Im an expert and heres why your hair gel is making you go bald

WHEN we think of hair gel, it's easy to get bogged down with images of the super spikey 90s boyband cut.

But millions of Brits still use hair gel to help perfect their hair-do throughout the day.

It's thought that the hair cream, wax and gel market in the UK is worth around £69million.

Styling products aren't meant to cause damage to the hair, but one expert has warned that your penchant for hair gel could actually be making you go bald.

Kevin Moore, trichologist at Regrowz.com highlighted some of the side effects prolonged use of hair gel can bring up.

He explained that hair dehydration occurs when you use hair gel due to a reduction in sebum production and moisture levels.

"This causes a loss of hair predominantly because of the reaction of external pollutants on the scalp", Kevin explained.

He said that hair gels can also cause dandruff, which forms when the scalp is undernourished and infected.

Most read in Wellbeing

"There can also be discoloration and damage of hair as a result of split ends and hair thinning", he said.

Kevin added that the main chemical in hair gel is diethyl phthalate and that excessive usage can cause issues.

"This chemical is what gave hair its unique and non-sticky consistency. Even while modern hair gels look up to cationic polymers for the viscosity of the gel to make face and hair look neat", he added.

The NHS said your GP will be able to tell you what's causing your hair loss and added that most of the time it is temporary or a natural part of getting older.

But for some people, using gel may have gone out of fashion, and many now use hair spray as it doesn't produce the same set look that hair gel does.

However, Kevin said using hair spray could also be dangerous to your health because of the chemical included.

"They come with a different blend of ingredients and are available under brands with formulations that contain active polymers and solvents along with a few propellants.

Treatment for hair loss

The NHS says that that if your hair loss is causing you distress then you can look into treatment options.

It's important that before starting any treatment plan you speak to your GP as they will be able to advise the best cause of action going forward.

Here are the treatments the NHS recommends:

Finasteride and minoxidil: These are the main treatments for male pattern baldness. Minoxidil can also be used to treat female pattern baldness. Women should not use finasteride.

Wigs: Some wigs are available on the NHS, but you may have to pay unless you qualify for financial help

Steroid injections: Injections given into bald patches

Steroid creams: Creams applied to bald patches

Immunotherapy: Chemical applied to bald patches

Light treatment: Shining ultraviolet light on bald patches

Tattooing: Tattoo used to look like short hair and eyebrows

Hair transplant: Hair is removed from the back of the head and moved to thinning patches

Scalp reduction surgery: Sections of scalp with hair are stretched and stitched together

Artificial hair transplant: Surgery to implant artificial hairs

Source: NHS

"While solvents are used to dissolve the ingredients into a solution the polymers are responsible for the hairspray’s glue-like effects.

"The spray before the 1970s was composed of vinyl chloride that was primarily used in propellant cans.

"This is also a carcinogen that was linked to a form of liver disease in humans known as angiosarcoma."

He added that while this chemical has long been discontinued, there are other ingredients that are still contributing to health degeneration such as propane, polyvinylpyrrolidone or PVP, and consequently alcohol and hydrocarbons, which act as solvents.

BlinkDash

Im an expert and heres why your hair gel is making you go bald

Most read in Wellbeing

Treatment for hair loss

Read More on The US Sun

We pay for your stories!