“There really is no great scientific evidence that a shampoo can help grow hair faster, longer, or thicker,” says Emmy Graber, MD, the president of the Dermatology Institute of Boston, a private practice in Massachusetts.
That doesn’t mean your shampoo doesn’t matter. Its main job is to clean the hair and scalp, which can help create a healthier environment for normal hair growth. Shampoos formulated to treat scalp issues like dandruff and inflammation can boost hair health too.
“Some shampoos contain ingredients like conditioning polymers, proteins, or volumizing agents that can coat the hair shaft and make the hair look and feel thicker,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a dermatologist at Manhattan Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery and a clinical assistant professor of dermatology at NewYork Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. “This can give the appearance of more volume without increasing density.”
“The shorter contact time as opposed to something left on the scalp like a lotion or oil means limited penetration, and that difference in contact time is a limitation for shampoos as a therapy for hair loss,” says Bruce A. Brod, MD, a dermatologist and a clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine in West Philadelphia.
“Shampoos are a helpful adjunct, but I would not think of them as a mainstay of treatment,” he adds.
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