Is Hair Gel Bad For Hair? 3 Natural Alternatives To Styling Gel For Sensitive Hair
A pleasing, perfect, prim, and proper appearance throughout the day is what most of us aim at achieving every day. This includes appropriate clothing, properly done face, and rightly styled hair.
Hair happens to be one of the most vital elements that constitute an individual’s look and personality while also being the least manageable aspect of the same.
That is why hair gel comes into play, in order to keep your stands in place.
Yet there are rumors that hair gel is actually bad for your hair in some specific aspects. The side effects of hair gel will be discussed below.
See also:
- The 17 Best Gels for Wavy Hair
- How to using hair gel to fix edges with box braids?
- Making old braids look new with hair gel
Can gel damage your hair?
Sadly the answer is yes.
Due to the presence of harmful chemicals, there are some certain side effects on your hair, scalp, and body you should consider when using hair gel.
Especially, you should avoid letting hair gel to sleep overnight because it can lead to flakes that look like dandruff and dry scalp.
Gel can dehydrate your hair
Hair gels contain alcohol and corrosive chemicals that strip off moisture from the hair and scalp and make them dry and dehydrated.
These gels mess with the moisture levels and reduce the production of sebum, creating dry, brittle, and breakage-prone hair and give rise to problems of itchy and flaky scalp.
They make the hair frizzy, thereby giving rise to unmanageable, dry, rough, limp, and lustreless tresses.
Styling wax can cause hair loss
These gels dehydrate the hair and scalp, thereby making the hair prone to breakage and fall.
The chemical compounds present in these gels, along with external pollutants together, react with the dead cell build-up and excess sebum on the scalp. This clogs the hair follicles and eventually causes hair fall.
Excess and prolonged hair fall can lead to problems like receding hairline, baldness, etc.
In this situation, you can use the following products to regrow your hair: sulfur 8, baby oil, moska oil, specialized shampoo and conditioner for hair growth, etc.
Too much hair gel can lead to dandruff
A dehydrated, undernourished, and infected scalp is characterized by irritation, itchiness, and flakiness of the scalp leading to dandruff.
Improper production of sebum, unhealthy and clogged skin pores and hair follicles, weakened hair roots all together cause and aggravate the problem of dandruff, seborrhoeic dermatitis or inflammation in the scalp which can further lead to other skin diseases like acne.
Related: 4 Ways To Treat Dandruff In Dreadlocks
Discoloration and damage
Damage, split ends, thinning, and discoloration of hair are also common side effects of using hair gels.
These gels rip off the nourishment and moisture content of the hair, break and strip them, disturb the pH balance of the hair and make them unhealthy, scarce, and dull.
Harmful chemicals in these gels also have ill effects on color-treated hair like fading and discoloration, and prolonged usage of this gel also results in early graying.
Related: The 16 Best Drugstore Shampoos and Conditioners for Dry Damaged Hair
4 natural alternatives to styling gel for sensitive hair
With all the downsides of hair gel we just mentioned above, probably you might feel disgusted and wonder if there are other methods that can keep your hair in its place and simultaneously don’t contain any chemicals.
Here are some natural alternatives for you to consider.
Gelatin hair mask
Using gelatin in place of hair gel has recently become popular for people who do not want chemicals on their skin or in their hair.
It is a healthy alternative because of the proteins in the gelatin that can help damaged areas, smoothen out hair cuticles, reduce breakage, and can even help to shine and gloss the hair.
Aloe vera gel
Not only does this make a good sunburn reliever but it also is one of the best natural alternatives to hair gel.
Of course, it is better to use organic products since they do not contain the additives that other products do.
Aloe vera gel is one of the best to hold styles, moisturizes hair and the scalp (it can close cuticles of your hair), and even conditions hair to make it stronger, shinier, and overall healthier.
Flaxseed oil
Another healthy and natural alternative, using flaxseed as a hairstylist, is a little more uncommon.
Like aloe vera, using organic flaxseed is healthier for the scalp and hair
Almond oil
Not specifically an alternative to hair gel, but the customer feedback was very positive about how good this product and type of oil was for their hair that we wanted to include it.
Conclusion
After reading this, you probably worry about the hair gel if you’re using such product as there are a lot of horrible downsides we just mentioned. Maybe they are even the worst nightmare for your hair.
So remember, don’t leave your hair gel in your hair for too long, or choose another healthier product to use, then your strands must be thankful because of that.
Aida
