Fact-checking Hair Myths You Saw on TikTok
“I saw it on TikTok” might be the most lethal sentence to hear, especially when it comes to claims about health, beauty, or wellness. Often enough, what follows is a doubtful theory at best and an outraging misinformation at worst. Today we’re going to tackle a couple of popular TikTok myths related to hair care and hair health.
Claim: you should wash your hair twice to ensure it’s clean.
Verdict: it depends.
Lots of people swear by double or even triple shampooing their hair and scalp during one washing session. The popular argument is that a single cleanse will not be efficient enough to remove all the dirt, oil, and grime.
If you’re into double washes, you might feel your hair’s cleaner, more voluminous, and less flaky after such a procedure. And that’s good if it works for you. However, there’s no scientific evidence that double washing is necessary for a proper cleanse. Most modern shampoos are designed to handle dirty hair in one go.
How many times you wash your hair should depend on how greasy/oily it is, what kind of shampoo you are using (and what amount), and even things like the water’s temperature. There’s no one-size-fits-all in this case.
Advice: You might want to do a double cleanse if you put a lot of styling products in, sweat a lot (like during exercise), or wash your hair less frequently. Otherwise, go with what feels good. Overwashing is a thing, so if you experience any dryness, irritation, or frizziness, stick to single washes. Remember: it’s better to wash your hair once with a good-quality shampoo, than twice or thrice with a subpar one.
Claim: the sulfates in your shampoo will irritate your scalp, dry out your hair, and might even be carcinogenic.
Verdict: false…mostly.
Sulfates are cleaning agents commonly present in shampoos, toothpaste, and mouthwashes. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are two types of sulfates most often used in shampoos. Their role is to create a foaming effect to remove oil and dirt from your hair. You’ll notice sulfate-free shampoos tend to lather a little or not at all.
Many insist that sulfates will damage your hair and might be a direct risk to your health. One of the most prevalent myths is that using products with sulfates causes cancer, however, scientific research disproves that. It appears that sulfates’ bad PR primarily stems from relying on outdated studies or misinterpreting their results.
For the most part, sulfates are safe for you. The concentration of SLS in your shampoo is not high enough to harm you, unless due to prolonged exposure — but that’s not a typical use. Some people might experience skin irritation, dry hair, color stripping, or frizziness when using products with sulfates, but it’s not a given.
Advice: If your hair and scalp are in good condition on a sulfate “diet”, you don’t need to avoid these ingredients like a plague. They could be an additional stress if you have certain skin conditions or if your hair already has to handle a lot (like dye or chemical procedures). Otherwise, don’t stress about it.
Claim: you need sulfates to clean your hair properly.
Verdict: false, kind of.
Yep. On the other side of the discourse, many will insist that sulfate-free shampoos have weaker cleaning properties and won’t deal with dirty hair as thoroughly. The thing is, it’s not that simple.
The way shampoos are formulated is complex. A product being beneficial for your hair depends on a whole slew of ingredients, the way they interact with each other, etc. Sulfates are just one piece of a puzzle. Whether a shampoo is beneficial for hair health doesn’t just depend on the presence of SLS or SLES in the ingredient list.
Advice: When choosing a shampoo, don’t just focus on one ingredient, but try to look for products that perform as a whole.
We could fill a book with so many wild claims out there. Is there a moral to this story? I could name several:
- don’t blindly trust people on the internet, even if they wear scrubs and appear professional,
- what works for other people, might not work for you, and vice versa,
- chemicals are not inherently dangerous and are everywhere, actually, including your food,
- when it comes to your health and well-being, do your research and don’t let yourself get swayed by dramatic declarations from people who want to sell something to you. Cheers and stay savvy!
Sources:
Bondi, C. A., Marks, J. L., Wroblewski, L. B., Raatikainen, H. S., Lenox, S. R., & Gebhardt, K. E. (2015). Human and environmental toxicity of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS): Evidence for safe use in household cleaning products. Environmental Health Insights, 9, 27–32. https://doi.org/10.4137/EHI.S31765
Cline, A., Uwakwe, L. N., & McMichael, A. J. (2018). No sulfates, no parabens, and the “no-poo” method: A new patient perspective on common shampoo ingredients. Cutis, 101(1), 22–26.
George, N. M., & Potlapati, A. (2022). Shampoo, conditioner and hair washing. International Journal of Research, 8(1), 185.
Irizarry Rovira, A. R., Hilbish, K. G., Schroeder, M., Boorman, G. A., Credille, K. M., Ballard, D., Hanson, J. C., & Niedenthal, A. (2021). Effects of 0.5% and 2.0% sodium lauryl sulfate in male CD-1 mice from a 3-month oral gavage toxicity study. Toxicologic Pathology, 49(5), 1100–1108. https://doi.org/10.1177/01926233211004873
Punyani, S., Tosti, A., Hordinsky, M., Yeomans, D., & Schwartz, J. (2021). The impact of shampoo wash frequency on scalp and hair conditions. Skin Appendage Disorders, 7(3), 183–193. https://doi.org/10.1159/000512786
Thompson, C., Ainger, N., Starck, P., Mykhaylyk, O., & Ryan, A. (2022). Shampoo science: A review of the physio‐chemical processes behind the function of a shampoo. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics, 224, 2200420. https://doi.org/10.1002/macp.202200420
