AboutPeter J. Panagotacos, <B>M.D.</B> Expertise I have 30 years experience in the field of medical and surgical Hair Restoration and am Board Certified
in Dermatology and Hair Restoration Surgery.
Experience I have 30 years experience in the field of medical and surgical Hair Restoration and am Board Certified
in Dermatology and Hair Restoration Surgery.
More information can be found at my website
www.hairdoc.com
Question i have had TE for a long time and need help with shampoo. i have heard that shampoos that have sodium laureth sulfate are not good for hair loss so i bought some free and clear shampoo (allergic to fragrance) but it has disodium laureth sulfosuccinate in it as the third ingredient which sounds like the first sls. what is the best shampoo to use???
Answer SLS can be harmful in high concentrations but the small amounts in shampoo is not going to be harmful for you or your hair. I prefer shampoos with zinc pyrithione and for regular use Neutrogena Daily Control is easily tolerated. This shampoo helps control the yeast and bacteria in the hair follicles and decreases the DHT in the hair follices as well. A 1% zinc pyrithione solution applied daily to the scalp of postmenopausal women resulted in thicker hair in a study done several years ago.In order to get your TE under control you will need to minimize whatever the stress factor is that is causing the TE.
There is a good article you can read on "How Stuff Works" about SLS
part of it is quoted below: http://science.howstuffworks.com/sodium-lauryl-sulfate1.htm
"Sodium lauryl sulfate can hurt you, but not in the way the e-mail rumor suggests. SLS can irritate skin under certain circumstances. It may seem strange that a cosmetic product like shampoo would contain an irritant, but the only way SLS actually irritates the skin is if it's left on for an extended period of time. It's entirely legitimate to say that if you like to leave shampoo on your hair all day, you should probably go SLS-free or face a dry, rashy scalp.
You may also notice that your toothpaste container warns you not to swallow the stuff inside, and part of the reason for that is SLS. Will you get cancer if you swallow too much SLS-containing toothpaste? Doubtful. But you may end up with a case of diarrhea.
The worst-case scenario with an SLS-containing shampoo, then, is irritation if you leave it on your head too long. Oh, and you're looking at possible toxicity if you swallow about 16 pounds (7.5 kilograms) of SLS-containing toothpaste [source: Queensland Health].
The SLS-free market has really boomed since the late '90s when that incorrect e-mail made the rounds -- so much so, in fact, that many experts suspect the e-mail originated from a natural-foods marketing agency [source: LEDA]. Still, even with the total lack of evidence linking SLS and cancer, some people would rather stay away from a potential irritant. For them, there are lots of SLS-free shampoos offered by natural-cosmetics companies. You can find them in any health-food-type store and all over the Internet, and they don't cost any more than most regular shampoos."
