Can Hair Gel Cause Hair Loss?

Hair gel is a common hair care product that can help you shape your hair just the way you want it to. It’s particularly favoured among those with frizzy or curly hair since it helps lock in moisture and define your curl pattern. As with everything, however, hair gel does contain chemicals and sometimes harsh ingredients, so you may be wondering if one of the side effects of hair gel is hair loss.

So, can hair gel cause hair loss? This guide will help you understand the link between the two and what you can do to take action against any hair thinning you may be experiencing today:

What is Hair Gel?

Before we get into can hair gel cause hair loss or not, let’s first look at the ingredients themselves. Understanding what goes into a typical hair gel product, and why it’s in there, is important. It can help avoid hair gels that are more likely to damage your hair, and find the best brands for you.

• Polymers and Carbomers: work to fix your hair in place and prevent humidity from frizzing it
• PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidone): PVP is a specific type of polymer that dries around the hair to protect it from external pollutants and moisture. [1]
• Parabens: Preservatives that extend the shelf-life of hair gel.
• Optional Additives: Optional chemicals that help with UV protection, maintaining moisture levels, or even adding texture.
• Alcohol: Helps the hair gel dry fast
• Water: The base of most formulas today

Are There Hair Gel Ingredients to Avoid?

There are hair gel ingredients that you’ll want to avoid. The good news is that, in the UK, these ingredients simply aren’t permitted in your hair products. These ingredients are:

1.    Certain Types of Alcohols

There are many different types of alcohols, with some (officially known as short-chain) causing extreme dryness. The alcohols you’ll want to avoid include ethanol, isopropyl alcohol and propanol. The dryness of these alcohol, along with excessive usage, can dry the hair follicles out enough that they become brittle and break up the shaft, which can cause hair fall.

2.    Prohibited Parabens

There are types of parabens that aren’t safe to use on the hair and scalp. The good news is that these unsafe versions are completely banned from UK and EU products [2]. There is no guarantee that they aren’t present, however, if you buy your products from abroad.

3.    Propylene Glycol

Propylene Glycol is a known irritant. Irritants can make your scalp irritated, itchy, or even to start flaking. Your product in the UK may have this ingredient, since it’s not everyone will be allergic. That’s why it’s important to look at the ingredients, do a patch test, and only continue if there’s no issue when using any type of skincare or hair care product.

Can Hair Gel Cause Hair Loss?

Now onto the big question, will hair gel cause hair loss? The good news is that the answer is no. There are certain ingredients that may make your hair more susceptible to breakage (like drying or irritation) but nothing in hair gel will outright lead to hair loss.

Can Hair Gel Damage Your Hair in Other Ways?

Hair gel may contain an ingredient that irritates your scalp. If you are particularly allergic to that ingredient, then yes, your hair may break off. If the hair gel contains short-chain alcohols, then constant use may dry your hair out enough that it starts breaking mid-way up the shaft. Both of these are very, very rare, however.

Understanding Hair Breakage Due to Specific Styles

One other reason why you may think hair gel is causing your hair loss is if you’ve taken up specific hairstyles – namely, tight hairstyles like braids or ponytails. Putting your hair in a hairstyle that isn’t good for it for long periods (day after day, for example) can cause damage, no matter what products are used in your hair. The fact that you may use hair gel to tame any frizzes from your style is merely coincidental.

The opposite is true for those with coiled hair. Using protective styles can help prevent breakage, as opposed to leaving the hair loose.

Either way, hair breakage can happen for any reason, and so long as it doesn’t change the image the overall appearance of your hair or hairline, it isn’t a cause for worry.

How Can I Safely Use Hair Gel

You can use hair gel every day without a problem so long as you aren’t allergic to the ingredients in it. The only concern is if build-up happens since this can make your hair feel constantly greasy or even look like you have dandruff.

It’s not dandruff, by the way. What you’re seeing is usually the hair gel. When it dries, it can crack if your hair moves too much, which then looks like dandruff flakes. The dandruff drying, cracking, and flaking off does not, however, mean your hair is in any sort of harm’s way.

The good news is that it’s so easy to get rid of that hair gel build-up. You just need to wash it. You can use a clarifying shampoo for even better results, since this works to remove all hair product build-up so you can get back to your natural hair.

And no – frequent showers aren’t going to cause hair loss, either.

Can Other Types of Hair Holding Products Cause Hair Loss?

Are there any other hair care products that would contribute to hair loss? Once again, no. So long as you use products that have been tested for safety in the UK or EU (which are both very strict when it comes to health and safety), you can comfortably use any hair care product.

Is It Okay to Frequently Use Hair Gel?

The danger of using hair gel frequently is that it can build up in your hair. This can impact sebum production, cause what feels like oily hair, and can even make it look like you have excess dandruff. Using a clarifying treatment to fully remove any leftover hair gel between treatments can stop these issues.

What’s Causing My Hair Loss?

Chances are, you’ve wondered does gel cause hair loss because you frequently use hair gel, and are now experiencing hair loss. If this is the case, then know there are many reasons why your hair may be falling out, including:

• Genetics
• Traction Alopecia
• Tight hairstyles
• Medicine
• Hormone imbalances
• Diet
• Stress

If you are worried about hair loss, then get in touch with our team. We will go through your hair tip to root to help diagnose the cause of your hair loss, and then issue a hair loss treatment that is right for you.

Can I Get My Hair Back if I’ve Lost It?

Hair loss can happen if and when you use hair gel, but it isn’t hair gel causing hair loss. It’s something else. That’s why if you’re experiencing hair loss, it’s important to take these steps:

1.    Track Your Hair Loss

The best way to understand your hair loss is to track it. you can easily do this with a hair track app which lets you compare photos of your hair over a period of time, allowing you to see slight differences in your hair line or overall hair thickness that is otherwise hard to notice.

2.    Discover the Source of Your Hair Loss

It is so important to immediately start trying to figure out the cause of your hair loss. It can be due to any of the aforementioned reasons. You can start the journey at home by removing possible allergens, or you can head straight to a professional for diagnosis.

3.    If Your Hair is Breaking, Be Patient

If your hair loss is due to some sort of breaking along the shaft (for example, if you use a hair gel with very drying ingredients that make your hair go brittle), then your hair will naturally grow back.

4.    If Your Hair Keeps Receding, Seek a Professional

Otherwise, you’ll need to get to the source. Fix the source of your hair loss (like stress) and your hair will start growing again. Of course, not all hair loss can be reversed like this, as is the case with male pattern baldness. In those cases, you’ll need a hair transplant to revive your full head of hair.

Can Hair Gel Cause Hair Loss: Case Closed

Styling products are very, very unlikely to cause any sort of hair damage. If they do, chances are they are using prohibited ingredients. So long as you stick to the safe products that have been tested by governmental agencies, you should be fine. You’ll still want to limit their use, but that’s mostly to avoid greasy build-up.

If you do notice that your hair is thinning or receding, then it’s important to get to the bottom of why, because it’s not likely due to hair gel. If you need help, we are always here for you. We’re experts in our field, with many happy customers behind us. You can even see the results for yourself in our patients gallery. We’ll help diagnose, treat, or even reverse your hair loss with our top-of-the-line methods.

Resources

[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/polyvinylpyrrolidone

[2] https://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-1051_en.htm#:~:text=Earlier%20this%20year%2C%20the%20Commission,of%20data%20necessary%20for%20reassessment.