Every now and then, we see new products in the hair care world that often gets taken over by some ingredients or trends. It becomes the highlight of all the famous brands and promises some amazing results that are hard to ignore.
Some of these ingredients appear to be unlikely heroes at first but have since gone on with time to prove that they are actually really good!
Probiotics are the same unsung heroes.
They certainly raise some eyebrows when we talk about them but in reality, are the complete opposite.
Often referred to as "good bacteria", probiotics are microorganisms that can help resolve a lot of scalp-related issues.
They act as a protective shield for your scalp, forming a barrier to stop microbes from entering your skin. This helps resolve common hair-related problems like itchy scalp, hair thinning, and moisturizer control.
But is it necessary to slather your hair with live bacteria? Can it really solve your lifelong hair problems? And most importantly, what are the benefits and drawbacks of using it?
Here are the web's most searched questions regarding probiotics for hair and how they can affect your scalp health.
What are Probiotics?
Probiotics are live bacteria that either live on our body, shared in our immune system, or used as a supplement to treat various symptoms and diseases. Depending on the type of probiotic you use, it can help balance the "good" or "bad" bacteria to make your body function normally.
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Topical probiotics, when applied to hair can help address a lot of hair concerns. The two most popular types of probiotics are Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, both of which are very helpful for hair related concerns.
But Can It Treat Scalp Issues?
Your scalp is a complete ecosystem that relies on a lot of factors. From better nutrition to digestive health, from using the right products to investing in the right haircare regimen, a lot of these factors play a huge role in maintaining your hair's optimal wellness.
Overall, Probiotics are considered safe to help promote a healthier scalp. They are already being used in a lot of hair care products such as herbal shampoos, bath soaps, and conditioners.
Over the past decade, there have been many studies and research that has proved the link between hair loss prevention and probiotics. Here are the top benefits you can achieve from using it.
Benefits of Probiotics for Hair
These studies are conducted on certain types of probiotics, so the results can vary depending on the product you use.
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Probiotics Fight Inflammation
A study conducted by Experimental Dermatology concluded that probiotics can promote hair growth by reducing inflammation from your scalp. They have the ability to reverse this effect by enabling your hair follicles to sustainable growth. The study showcases that the hormones and cytokines released in the immune system can disrupt your pro-inflammatory cycle.
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Reducing Stress
Stress is the inevitable term that not only affects our health but also leads to a lot of skin and hair-related problems. Especially when you experience a traumatic effect, it can directly affect your growth cycle, leading to excessive hair loss.
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Your hair will, of course, start to grow again when your body is relaxed, but the impact that it has caused can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months to recover.
What probiotics do, is reduce the presence of cortisol in your skin, which is the known stress hormone in our body. Applying it directly to the affected area can lower the levels of the hormone, leading to healthy hair.
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Probiotics stimulate the Growth Phase
Our hair growth process goes through a lot of different phases, one of which is the anagen stage where the growth process begins. This stage normally happens when we're young.
What probiotics do is stimulate far more hair in the anagen phase because of their growth properties. And these are just a handful of benefits that probiotics offer for your hair. Combining it with other ingredients such as essential oils will have double the benefits.
So how can you effectively use Probiotics?
The answer to this question is pretty much tied with your hair concern. One of the best ways to use it is to include it in your hair cleaning processes like a probiotic shampoo or conditioner. Probiotic shampoos, in particular, are the powerhouse of herbal ingredients that aim to promote your hair concerns of all types.
The Henna Guys Probiotic Shampoo
Caring for your scalp is easier than before, thanks to our unique probiotic hair anti-damage formula. This sulfate-free shampoo packs the incredible benefits of Lactobacillus, coconut, and other fruit extracts to promote healthier shinier hair. The shampoo can help:
- Balance your pH level to boost shine
- Feed natural bacteria to protect your growth
- Keep a healthy biome on your scalp
- Nourishes and promotes hair locks
And the best part is, the shampoo is safe to use on color-treated hair.
How to use it:
- Wet your hair completely
- Pour a dime of probiotic shampoo on your palms and massage your scalp
- Cover your hair from roots to ends
- Rinse thoroughly followed with sulfate-free conditioner
Conclusion:
Our hair really is an odd thing, that no matter what we do, always ends up with complicated results. But it doesn't have to be if you follow the right procedure. Probiotics are a wonderful, sort of natural way to help promote your hair growth.
Although they are not certainly marketed as the ultimate solution for hair or something that can inevitability restore your hair, but the studies and possible usage shows that they have the capacity to show positive signs in your hair follicles.
And the best part is, probiotic shampoos are made without sulfates, so you’re pretty much covered from all sides.