How Your Dry Shampoo Obsession Can Ruin Your Scalp

We've heard people say, "The truth hurts," but it didn't resonate as much as the day we learned that overusing our favorite dry shampoo might not do us any good. And by pain, we mean the shaking of our world. For context, here's a product that gives our tresses much-needed appeal in a pinch, prolongs the life of our overpriced hairdos, and gives us a reason not to wash our hair for days by removing oil that builds up at our roots. We are guilty of spraying dry shampoo even when our hair is completely clean and oil-free, just for extra volume, with a "sorry, don't apologize" attitude. And now it looks like we really should be sorry - at least for the sake of our scalps. 

As it turns out, we thought our dry shampoo obsession cured all of our bad hair problems, when in fact it could do some damage. How? Imagine this: every day, your scalp and hair naturally collect and retain oil, dirt and impurities. To remove buildup, you wash your hair and exfoliate your scalp to keep your strands and follicles clean. Skipping a good rinse and just spraying on dry shampoo will only add more dirt and oil to your scalp, which can upset your hair's natural oil balance. If overused over time, this buildup can sink, clog and weaken the follicle and lead to potential rupture or detachment. 

SILVER LINING: WHY DRY SHAMPOO IS NOT ALL BAD

But it's not all bad news. You can still use dry shampoo if you take the proper preventive measures to avoid long-term problems. First, are you using it correctly? Most people spray it on their roots and forget to do anything else afterwards. Use dry shampoo Loreal Professional Fresh Dust– in small amounts and always follow expert protocol. Stylist and L'Oréal Professionnel Ambassador Eric Gomez recommends lifting the hair at the roots and applying a small amount of product, then blow-dry it quickly to avoid dry shampoo sticking to the scalp. Spray too much? Increase the speed of your hair dryer, but always keep it on the cool setting.

In addition to moderate use - Gomez suggests no more than twice a week - consider using exfoliating scalp scrubs or clarifying shampoos weekly or biweekly to remove residue from dry shampoo and other styling products. Bottom line: as long as you shower/exfoliate your scalp regularly, using dry shampoo a few times a week won't hurt. As with most things, moderation is key.

Need more persuasiveness? Our friends at Hair.com interviewed an expert on all things dry shampoo. Find out what he had to say about the safety of dry shampoo, here!