The market is flooded with dozens of hair shampoo brands but there is a lot of misconception about the right hair shampoo one should be using. 

Should one use mild shampoo over chemical-laced shampoos that use some catchy brand names and is widely advertised by celebrities that often claim to control hair fall or promote hair growth? 

These are some questions that noted dermatologist & trichologist and one of the Best Hair Transplant Surgeons in Hyderabad Dr John Watts demystifies in this educational video for the viewers of his popular YouTube Channel.

Mild Vs Harsh Shampoo:

He makes it a point to differentiate the milder shampoos from the harsh shampoos available in the market based on the ingredients they contain. Hair shampoos that do not cause irritation or damage to the scalp are classified as mild shampoos as the ingredients leave a minimal adverse effect.

“In particular, people buying shampoos should read the label carefully and watch out for ingredients containing sodium Laureth sulphate, sodium laurel sulphate, or sodium lauryl sulphate and paraben. They should avoid such shampoos with a harsh surfactant,” he informs.

The harsh shampoos can be easily identified with the presence of the above chemical ingredients but besides them, they may also contain strong smells and strong colouring agents.

Mild Shampoo: Benefits

The mild shampoo uses hair-friendly ingredients that not only provide cleansing for the hair but also cause the least irritation and damage to the scalp in the long run.

“The purpose of a shampoo is cleansing and the mild shampoo does a good job on this. People should not believe if any shampoo claims that it can control hair fall or promote hair growth,” advises Dr John Watts, while batting for an only mild shampoo.

Unlike mild shampoo, harsh shampoo can drain away excess oil from the scalp and lead to itching. Gradually, such itching and scratching can lead to skin erosion and the protective skin barrier on the scalp can break.

This can provide easy access for bacterial attacks by the likes of staphylococcus bacteria and damage the hair, leading to hair fall. 

While advising herbal-based Volumizing Shampoo brands that use Acacia concinna or Soapnut or Reetha or Shikakai or kunkudukai as examples of mild shampoos, Dr John Watts, however, has a word of caution.

“You cannot use mild shampoos in excess either. The volumizing shampoos add volume to the hair and are safer comparatively but overuse can drain excess oil and damage hair cuticle,” warns Dr John Watts, while recommending head wash with mild shampoo for not more than thrice a week.

Diluting Harsh Shampoos:

For those who prefer to use harsh shampoo brands or are unable to dump their stock of harsh shampoos, Dr John Watts urges them to use a very small quantity of such shampoo by diluting them with water. 

“It is better if one immediately washes away such shampoo on the scalp within 20-25 seconds of application on the scalp,” he suggests, while urging the viewers to share the video among their friends for awareness.

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