Do you always use dry shampoo? These are the health reasons why you should stop, say experts
Dermatologist Francesca Fusco explains the real dangers to your skin that dry hair shampoo can pose
DRY hair shampoo has become a popular alternative for many people and although it does save time, experts have revealed that it has a lot of negative side effects.
Dr Francesca Fusco, a New York-based dermatologist, has unveiled how exactly how bad dry shampoo can be for your hair.
"We've all had that day when we haven't washed our hair for a few days, and it looks good, so I think that's where this belief [that you shouldn't wash your hair every day] came from," she tells
And while dry shampoo does seem to solve the problem in the short term, our scalps need regular cleansing to maintain good health.
"When you're cleansing, you're removing dead skin, germs, and bacteria," she says. "You're exfoliating [your scalp], and it's healthier when you exfoliate," explains Dr Fusco.
"When you're using dry shampoo every day, it builds up, and it eventually dulls the hair."
And it's not just Dr Fusco who supports this view, celebrity colourist Rita Hazan, also agrees that: "[Dry shampoo] visibly dulls the hair."
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"Formulas are usually made from aluminium starch or corn starch, which appear matte. This makes the colour in your hair look less shiny and healthy."
And unfortunately, some of Rita's clients have fallen into a viscous routine of avoiding washing their hair because they believe shampoo dulls their colour.
So, instead they use dry hair shampoo thinking it's better but they don't realise it's also dulling their colour too.
Other rumours that people have heard is that shampooing too much can damage your scalp, but Dr Ken Anderson, founder and director of the Anderson Hair Sciences Centre, says there is no proof of that.
"[The scalp] is thicker than the bottom of your heel — kind of like a helmet that's genetically developed to protect your scalp," he says.
"So the hairs are in there pretty well. They're not just damaged by chemicals on the scalp — they're only damaged by chemicals that penetrate the scalp."
And he goes on to say that using too much dry hair shampoo can interfere with your hair's normal shedding process.
"Like hairspray, [dry shampoo] holds the hairs against your scalp," he says. "If it makes [the hair] sticky, it could tangle the hair, causing you to inadvertently pull some healthy hair out when you brush."
And dry shampoo also holds those shed hairs to your scalp, so you might see a lot of hair coming out, even though you have lost the normal amount.
Dr Fusco summarising the issue by saying: "The skin on your scalp is an extension of the skin on your face,if your face was oily and dirty, you wouldn't just powder it. You'd wash it."
