Dry shampoo is literally a miracle in a can – it’s capable of turning even the greasiest of barnets into something resembling freshly washed hair.
Unfortunately for one woman though, this gift from the beauty gods above may have turned her life into a living hell, by causing her to develop a bald patch.
Nicole Baxter believes using dry shampoo irritated her scalp and caused her to develop a bald spot.
When Nicole first noticed her bald spot was growing she went to the doctor to get things checked out.
She told Cosmopolitan:
My scalp was also very itchy and flaky. I had wee red sores and blisters all over my scalp and a terrible burning sensation all over my head – to the point where I would wake up several times a night due to the discomfort/pain.
The doctor diagnosed Nicole with triangular alopecia – a type of alopecia which causes baldness in a specific spot – and referred her for a scalp biopsy to get to the bottom of what was going on.
Doctor’s told Nicole her hair would need to be completely clean for this procedure and advised her not to use dry shampoo in the days leading up to the appointment.
Thinking nothing of it, Nicole stopped using the shampoo and over the next six to seven weeks, she noticed an incredible result.
When the doctor’s examined her scalp it had already started to heal and had improved remarkably.
Nicole explained how her doctor reacted:
She compared my scalp today to the pictures that were in my file from February and asked what had I done differently in the last six-seven weeks that may have helped it?
I told her I’d stopped using dry shampoo and that was it, nothing else different. You’d have thought a light bulb went off in the woman’s head. She said it’s the best thing I could have done for myself.
Nicole still has a bald patch and doctors are unsure whether her hair will grow back, but her scalp has improved a great deal.
Nicole’s said she won’t be using dry shampoo in the future.
She wrote on Facebook:
Dry shampoo caused me to now have this bald patch on my head (which I still have and it may or may not grow back, but nothing can be done) and a terrible scalp for ages.
Just wash your hair people! It is not worth having this awful patch that I might be stuck with on the side of my head all because I can’t be arsed to dry my hair.
According to The Atlantic, dry shampoo deposits substances on your head which coat the root of your hair. If you use dry shampoo too much these substances build up and irritate the root, weakening it.
This can lead to increased shedding and can cause hairs to clump together so when one falls out, it takes two to three others with it.
Thankfully, most experts believe you can still use dry shampoo safely, but they advise not using it every day and washing your hair normally so your scalp has time to recover.
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More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.
Since then his rise has been described by himself as ‘meteoric’ rising to the esteemed rank of Social Editor at UNILAD as well as working at the BBC, Manchester Evening News, and ITV.
He credits his success to three core techniques, name repetition, personality mirroring, and never breaking off a handshake.