“Does Dry Shampoo Damage Your Hair?” – Other Important Questions Answered

Doesn’t everyone just seem to absolutely LOVE their dry shampoo?

Just seems too many of us use it to excess while cheerfully ignoring the potential side effects.

Side effects?

Yeah. It’s not like dry shampoo isn’t safe to use – as long as you don’t go crazy. It’s just that there are limits to what this lifesaver can do safely.

So if you’re thinking with me you may suddenly be wondering how does dry shampoo damage your hair?

Or what else is there about dry shampoo that you should know but maybe don’t?

Now if you stopped by looking to find out does dry shampoo damage your hair, damage may be overstating it.

Affect yes?

Damage probably not.

It’s a debatable point for sure.

Which may be why most every hair expert pretty much agrees that dry shampoo should be used sparingly. As in not for daily use as a replacement for washing.

Instead it should a more of a spur of the moment, “Oh no I overslept. I need a quick touch up to keep my mane from looking like a giant grease ball all day!” kind of thing.

Beyond that you may have other questions. Here’s some answers you may find worth checking out.

• Does Using Dry Shampoo Cause Hair Loss?
• Does Dry Shampoo Cause Dandruff?
• Is Dry Shampoo Safe For Color Treated Hair
• Is Dry Shampoo Better Than Washing Hair?
• Does Dry Shampoo Expire?
• Does Dry Shampoo Kill Head Lice?

Does Using Dry Shampoo Cause Hair Loss?

Hair loss for women can be very very scary.

And I know. If you’ve ever Googled things like “does dry shampoo make your hair fall out”? some of the click bait headlines can be beyond scary.

Despite that there is little reason to sweat hair loss from this.

Fortunately, and like most hair care products, dry shampoo is tested extensively. That makes it safe to use and adverse reactions extremely rare. But that’s not to say reactions never happen.

That’s also not to say there haven’t been reports of thinning hair around the hair line or what is perceived to be widening parts.

And much like other potential problems it’s not the hair so much that’s at risk, it’s your scalp. And there’s the potential for scalp inflammation from buildup and the issues that can lead to if taken to excess.

This in turn can lead to increased shedding which is another way of saying hair loss. At least per a dermatologist quoted in a Glamour magazine for a piece exploring this topic in depth.

The conclusion reached there is pretty much the same as everywhere else.

To keep the risk of hair loss tiny use it as intended.

That is as a quick fix.

You don’t want your dry shampoo habit to develop into a styling dependency.

Nor do you want to repeatedly use it as way to avoid shampooing while you catch a few more minutes of precious snooze time.

Besides there are risks to your hair associated with shampooing daily too. For example your sebaceous glands can go into over drive in an attempt to keep up. Making your strands greasy ever faster.

Does Dry Shampoo Cause Dandruff?

Who wants to use a product that results in flaky dandruff?

I know, right?

That makes this question totally reasonable. No one wants embarrassing flakes caused by dry shampoo on their dark tops and sweaters.

Luckily when looking for the answer I saw in New Beauty magazine that a dermatologist, Eric Schweiger, plainly reported it doesn’t. Phew!

Problem is sometimes we confuse the white flakes that come from dry shampoo accumulation sough off with dandruff.

Yes there is potential for aggravating an existing case of dandruff. A cosmetic chemist told Marie Claire magazine that’s due to the starches found in dry shampoo. They’re there to sop up the mess. But they can also be a breeding ground for all sorts of nasty stuff.

YUCK!

Not to mention there’s the potential for aggravating an existing case of dandruff.

So even though dandruff is caused by a yeast this still doesn’t sound like anything I’d want going on on my head.

Which is why using clarifying shampoo a couple times a month or an apple cider vinegar rinse once in a while to de gunk your scalp might not be a bad idea.

Is Dry Shampoo Safe For Color Treated Hair

Good question. If there’s anything we do more than apply dry shampoo it’s color our hair.

But never fear. In a word, yes. It’s safe.

Okay so you can never say never. I get that. But your color should be unaffected. The matte finish coating your strands after spritzing the dry shampoo on simply means your hair will be a little less shiny.

Yet once washed your typical mega watt, high gloss shine should return full force.

PLUS … we all know shampooing is a surefire color killer. So wouldn’t anything that helps us lather up less be good for our color treated locks?

That way you’ll be able to stretch out the time between washings which can’t hurt. Yet you won’t look gross while doing so.

So if you’re worried if dry shampoo can affect your hair dye don’t be. Other than dulling down the shade that’s about it. While on the plus side it can help keep the color from fading faster than you like.

Is Dry Shampoo Better Than Washing Hair?

Can you believe it?

Some (and you know who you are) stop lathering up entirely and go through life spritzing dry shampoo onto their mane day after day.

Do. Not. Do. This!

Dry shampoo is not a substitute for washing your hair.

As this article on the Cleveland Clinic website points out, “shampooing hair is critical to removing the dirt, bacteria and yeast that build up on the scalp. Only a wet shampoo can truly cleanse the scalp.”

Does Dry Shampoo Expire?

Actually, if you check yours you’ll see that it does not.

So no worries. Especially for the ones that come in aerosol cans since they’re air tight.

Also the alcohol in those cans will keep the product at its grease absorbing best for months and months.

Just don’t take this to mean it’s good forever. This site pointed out it’s probably best to use it within three years. That’s because it’s effectiveness does diminish with age.

But c’mon. Who has dry shampoo sitting around anywhere near that long?

Given how often most of us turn to this for grease relief who has any that lasts beyond a year anyway? Or well before there is any risk of it having gone bad before it has a chance to volumize our locks.

Does Dry Shampoo Kill Head Lice?

I can understand why you might ask given the diminishing powers of insecticidal lice shampoos.

But no, it’s unlikely any dry shampoo is going to kill head lice anytime soon.

After stopping by the CDC, webMD, Harvard Health among others, no article we checked out on how to kill lice offered dry shampoo as a solution.

None.

Now some will suggest essential oils as a workaround. Unfortunately the scientific community has been unable to confirm the effectiveness of this traditional medicine alternative.

But a more promising alternative, as reported by the Mayo Clinic, might be tea tree oil. Mixed with shampoo it may treat adults nymphs, and lice eggs.

Anyway, moderation in all things is good advice. Plus there is no one size fits all solution when it comes to hair care.

Just because dry shampooing works for me doesn’t mean what I do is going to work for you.

It took much trial and error to get to where my hair routine is today. I’m sure it was much the same for you.

So when you hear someone going on and on about how long they can go between washings, we shouldn’t feel inferior if our hair can’t do that. Especially if it means using dry shampoo almost every day.

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