You’ve probably used, or at least heard of, selenium sulfide if you’ve ever had dandruff. It’s a common active ingredient in many shampoos that combat flakes and helps to treat various dandruff symptoms.
And while that’s all well and good, doctors warn that it’s crucial to remember that excessive or incorrect use of selenium sulfide may paradoxically end up having negative effects on your hair and scalp. We talked to the three professionals in advance to get their opinions on what you should know before using selenium sulfide.
Read also: How to Use a Clarifying Shampoo for Super Clean Hair
What Is Sulfide of Selenium?
Dandruff and other fungal skin and scalp infections can be treated with selenium sulfide. Dandruff is caused by a variety of causes, but the main one is an overabundance of the yeast Malassezia. In addition to being an anti-fungal that inhibits the growth of this yeast, selenium sulfide also reduces the inflammatory side effects brought on by dandruff.
Benefits of Selenium Sulfide
Indeed, selenium sulfide works well against fungi, but it also has some other advantages. It should be noted that this is also the reason it’s frequently used to treat other scalp problems, such as seborrheic dermatitis. It lessens flaking, as well as itching, irritation, and redness of the scalp.
Does Selenium Sulfide Affect Hair?
Unfortunately, there are some grey areas. Although selenium sulfide use has been associated with some negative effects, including hair loss, there is no proof that this is the only contributing reason. As a general rule, any hair loss is usually brought on by a variety of causes. loss.
While it’s unlikely that selenium sulfide is the cause of the problem, it may contribute to and exacerbate the illness. If you’re utilizing selenium sulfide, you’re probably doing so to treat a scalp issue that is brought on by inadequate scalp health, a bad diet, hormones, illness, stress, or sensitivity to products. In other words, there are already issues with your scalp that may be causing hair loss.
How to Use Selenium Sulfide
To begin with, you should only use selenium sulfide if you have a scalp disorder like dandruff; even then, it shouldn’t be a regular component of your haircare regimen. Use it irregularly. While benefits won’t be seen after just one use, you should start to see some after about a week. After the condition has improved, discontinue using it. Similar to your gut, your scalp has a microbiome. Continual usage of chemicals like selenium sulfide will disturb this and may worsen the problem you are seeking to address.
Although the amounts of selenium sulfide in shampoos are designed to be safe for the hair, keep in mind that this is still a component intended for the scalp. As a result, just apply to the parts of the scalp that actually have dandruff. Add a moisturizing shampoo and conditioner in between uses.
Read also: How to Remove Hair Dye From Nail Polish