December 14 2005, 10:31 am PT | Posted in: Hair Loss Causes + Hair Products
Somebody mentioned losing hair after using Head ‘n Shoulders shampoo. In the fall of 1975, I started using Head ‘n Shoulders shampoo and immediately started losing hair and even though I could not prove the causal relation between the two, I immediately quit using Head ‘n Shoulders. Even though my hair has still receded and thinned somewhat since then, I have always been curious if anyone has taken a look at Head ‘n Shoulders and complaints about that brand of shampoo as a possible cause of hair loss.
Head & Shoulders shampoo, to my knowledge, does not contribute to hair loss. You are the first person who has presented this complaint to me. It is very possible that there was a coincidence between the shampoo and the change in your hair loss status.
Update August 18, 2008 –
Although I initially posted this almost 3 years ago, this has become a very hot topic as of late and the readers have provided some good commentary below.
Hi,
I am a 27 y/o male that started using head and shoulders about 4 years ago. I do not have family history of thin hair, and always had thick hair myself. I have noticed that my hair on top is much thinner than it used to be, which caused me to do a google search where I found this site. I am wondering if there is a correalation.
I too have had that happen. I used Head & Shoulders for almost 8 years and my hair on top thinned out along with the rest of my hair, to the point I was going bald it seemed. Then I stopped using it and the thickness returned along the sides and back, but the top near the forehead and crown has still not recovered and was the most affected. I’ve heard of other stories as well of people losing hair to Head & Shoulders, including my barber (back in the 60s when they had an industrial strength formula for dandruff and his hair never grew back) and my ex-g/f’s dad started losing his hair because of it, but he only used it for 3 years and it eventually grew back over the course of a year or so. I suggest stopping use of the shampoo, or if you are using it daily, use it once a week instead like you would any other medical dandruff shampoo. Head & Shoulders is definitely not for daily use.
im pretty sure there is a correalation between using Head and Shoulders and hair loss. Ive been using it for almost two years and recently I’ve been losing dramatic amounts of hair. My mom told me to discontinue using it because it also caused her and my uncle to lose hair. i have a huge urge to sue Head and Shoulders because im only 16 and should have volumous hair, instead I have thin hair and I’m still losing hair after a month of switching shampoos.
Head & Shoulders killed me thick head of hair in a matter of 3 years, especially the top & crown. Since i’ve discontinued use (4 years ago), it has very slowly, but noticeably, recovered, but nothing close to what it was…i dont think it ever will. I am incredibly angry at the makers of this product and i would gladly join a class action suit against them!
I’ve used Head and Shoulders for the last few months and almost 100% of my hair fell out. My wife says I look like a shiny billiard ball now.
I’m an 18 year old. recently used head and shoulders for about 1 month. Discontinued use after recognizing my hair loss.. still losing hair.. doesn’t seem to stop.
Very angry at this product.
I’m 26 years old and i’ve been using head and shoulders for about 6 years. The hair on top of my head thinned out a lot and it looks very bad. Head and sholders should pay for the damaged they have done.
I just turned eighteen and have never thought my hair was thinning or that I was losing hair until I used head and shoulders for about a month. The shampoo has definately made my hair thinnner and a lot of my hair has fallen out. This product sucks and discontinue use immediately.
I’ve had the exact same problem. I’m 22 and I’ve had really thick hair until recently when I noticed it’s starting to thin in the back. I thought it may have been the Head & Shoulders shampoo that caused it so I did a search to see if anyone else had this problem. This page popped up. I will never again use that shampoo.
I started losing hair before using head & shoulders. I used it for about 3 years and didn’t notice any more hair loss than what I had experienced before. I still have hair on my head just less than in high school.
I don’t think Head & Shoulders has anything to do with hair loss, considering the Millions they sell and the total of 9 responses on this site.
I am not sure if the shampoo is to blame, however I am 25 years old, started using head and shoulders “refresh”. I have been using it for just over a month now. I did not notice any hair loss until this week. My hair is falling out like crazy. I don’t believe it is normal for this to happen, even for normal hair thinning of loss. I look at my hair and compare it to a picture of myself taken 2 months ago, and I can see I have lost a dramatic amount.
I have never had a problem with hair loss…never hair on my pillow or visible in the shower. Except now, my pillow is full of hair, my keyboard has many lost hairs, and I even rinsed my hair with only water in the sink so I could see how bad it was…the water was full of hair.
I am going to a doctor this week to be checked out for everything possible.
Well, after about a year of using head and shoulders I’ve also noticed my hair thinning out. The interesting thing is that it’s gradual thinning throughout the entire scalp rather than just male pattern baldness.
When I started I washed my hair about three times a week, but when i switched over to using it everyday i’ve noticed my scalp becoming very itchy and red sometimes. I think it’s the only shampoo out there with a warning in the back saying that you should discontinue use if irritation or rash occurs…well too late for me i guess. Hopefully a year of use is recoverable, I’ll try to remember to post if i see an improvement after a few months.
I used Head and Shoulders for 4 days in a row and my scalp hurt and BEGAN to itch. Then I started to have my hair shed more than usual. I initially turned to Head and Shoulders because it was supposed to STOP inflammation. But, for whatever reason, it made mine worse. As I think someone else wrote on here–it’s NOT for daily use.
I’ve recently had a dramatic loss of hair. Everytime I touch my hair it seems to be falling out and when I shampoo and wash it it seems to come out in droves. I’ve only just made the connection to the “New” Head & Shoulders ‘Ocean Lift’ Shampoo I’ve been using. It’s Ocean Lifting the hair right off of my head. I’ve always had healthy curly hair and never a problem with hair loss like this. I’m sure the harsh ingredients that they put into their products must do some damage to the hair follicles. I will immediately stop using this shampoo and hope that my hair comes back to the healthy state it was in prior to this.
I’ll be honest. I’ve been having thinning hair since 2002. At that time, I read somewhere to use T/Gel shampoo and it somehow slow the thinning process. I started using Rogaine and it also seemed to help.
Then in March 2007, I read that Head & Shoulders’s “Classic Clean” formula helped a few people with Acne on their backs. Since I had that problem, I purchased it and it tremendously helped reduce my Acne. However, I also started using it as a shampoo and within 2 weeks, I noticed my crown area SIGNIFICANTLY thinner than before. Since H&S was the only new thing I introduced, I’m sure it was the cause.
I have discontinued usage, and will NEVER EVER put Head & Shoulders on my scalp again.
hi, i’m 16 years old, and ive always depended on head/shoulders for killing my dandruff.. but over the past 2 months ive noticed a very disturbing amount of hair falling out… everytime i brush my hair at the end of the day, big big chunks of hair is left on my brush and the floor, also when i’m washing my hair. My mom saw the hair and told me to stop using it, cuz she also experienced hair loss. so we stopped using it
and the hair loss stopped…yay:-)
also, its quite embarrasing to be depositing long random hair strands everywhere i go, especially in school cuz hair strands appear randomly on my arm and binders, ugh
I used head and shoulders for 2 months and now my hair is so healthy, I’m 25 years old, a male, and my hair is thick and no more dry scalp, so I’m thinking everybody else on here just happened to be getting close to hair lose gentically. I use head and shoulders every other day.
I was using H&S for about a year and lost about 30% of my hair at the crown (i kid you not). The scalp was starting to be visible under a bright light. I have discontinued it now for 6 months, and i’m regrowing the lost hair
I can authoritatively say that H&S is the culprit. I don’t care how efficient it is against dandruff. Whatz the point when it aggravates hair-loss.
My advice: Wash hair on alternate days using a very mild herbal shampoo. Once in a week use a good anti-dandruff shampoo (even if you are not affected by dandruff). I have found Vichy’s anti-dandruff shampoo to be extremely good.
Try to avoid shampoo which has ALS and SLS (ammonium/sodium Laureth Sulfate). They are cleansing agents used to clean Garage floors.
BTW, “whoever” says H&S does not contribute to hair-loss, is just bullshitting. He probably has a hidden benefit in promoting the crap.
All right, so I started using Head and shoulders 2 in 1 shampoo and conditioner because I had a mild case of dandruff. The dandruff problem was solved, but I continued using the shampoo anyway. I noticed my hair thinning a little bit and immediately blamed the shampoo and quit using it. The dandruff soon came back so I did extensive research on which dandruff shampoos are the best. The active ingredient in head and shoulders is pyrithione zinc and this ingredient does not show any side effects that contribute to hair loss. Shampoos with ingredients such as selenium sulfide, however, have a less common side effect of increased NORMAL hair loss. I also found a study in which a generic brand with 1% pyrithione zinc actually slightly increased hair density. So i resumed head and shoulder, but the classic clean shampoo only, as this was the shampoo that most matches the one used in the study. I have been using the shampoo daily and i don’t think it has increased my hair loss or has caused it to thin. During my initial thinning episode, i was going through a lot of stress so maybe the shampoo wasn’t to blame?? I guess it depends on who uses it, here is the link to the study.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez
oops, this is the actual link. I checked pubmed, just in case, to see if the article/study was in their database and it was. Copy and paste the title in the pubmed search engine to find the article there.
http://www.hairloss-research.org/HeadandShoulders.html
There are many studies that show pyrithione zinc, the active ingredient in Head and SHoulders, as increasing hair growth. From what I have read it increses the number of hairs in the anagen phase. Other ingredients that do the same are ketoconzale. Pyrithione zinc is found in head and shoulders and the ketoconzale is in Nizoral. One study did show that pyrithione zinc slightly decreased hair diameter and ketoconzale increased hair diameter. However, ketoconzale and its effect on hair is debatable because of conflicting studies and information. Pyrithione zinc however, has generally been shown to be beneficial. The effect may also vary depending on individuals. Head and Shoulders shouldn’t lead to hair loss, but if you think it does then don’t use it.
To find the studies simple type head and shoulders hair loss in a search engine, i used google, and the first couple links should show the study. For the study with ketoconzale and pyrithione zinc, do a google scholar search with pyrithione zinc vs. selenium sulfide in the search field. the study is near the botton and says something along the line of improving hair health/ scalp health.
I’ve been using H&S for about a month. I’ve never lost hair at a noticable rate, never seen my hair in the shower and very few hairs in the brush. I have a receding hair line but its moving very slowly.
Since using H&S - about once every 3-4 days, I have noticed hair loss, I run my fingers through my hair and seem to be catching hairs on every pass.
Im not sure if H&S is causing the folicals to expand/loosen up making the hairs easy to fall out.
I havent been using conditioner after H&S which could be the issue.
i do not take any meds to prevent my androgenic alopecia, but i don’t know about H&S, but i have been placing half a hollowed-out watermelon on my head for the last month, and have been noticing hair falling out at a significant rate, i don’t think it is my androgenic alopecia that progresses with age, i think it is the hollowed-out watermelon i put on my head, i never used to put a watermelon on my head when i was younger, but now that i am older i do put a half watermelon on my head, once again i do not believe the hair loss is related to age associated androgenic alopecia, but is definitely the hollowed-out watermelon half i put on my head, definitely that’s it!
I am 26 years old. Over the past 2 years I have noticed my hair thinning almost to the point of baldness in some areas. Up until 4 months ago, I had never used Head & Shoulders shampoo. I began using Head & Shoulders shampoo 4 months ago, and I have noticed a dramatic improvement! My hair has grown back thicker than before! Women at work have noticed too. They tell me how much more handsome I look, and they seem to love running their hands through my thick head of hair. I just wanted to let you all know, just in case you were worried that Head & Shoulders was a bad product. It isn’t! It is wonderful and it definitely contributes to new hair growth!
I had dandruff problem before and started using H&S anti-dandruff shampoo. This shampoo is so harsh and full of chemicals. I noticed a significant hair falling out after I come my hair or take a shower.
A friend of mine recommended me to use a mild herbal based shampoo instead. Ever since I started using the Lauat herbal hair shampoo, my hair loss problem stopped. Surprisingly, it also get rid of my annoying dandruff problem! You can read more about the Lauat herbal hair shampoo on http://www.elantree.com.
Sonny Le, forgive me but you are not an expert on this. You prove that with your comment about Head & Shoulders being harsh and full of chemicals. I wonder if you have ever even used Head & Shoulders before. I have used Head & Shoulders and I know that it is NOT harsh, but actually quite soothing to the scalp. Also, there are absolutely no chemicals in Head & Shoulders. So you are wrong about that, too.
If you want bugs to grow in your hair, then please be my guest and continue to use that mild herbal based shampoo. But if you want to experience a beautiful, luxurious head of hair, then use Head & Shoulders.
well randall, im 16 years old ive always had thick luxuriouse hair that everybody comented on…about a year ago i noticed a little bit of flackage so i stoppped using pantene and started using head and shoulders and every since then so much of my hair has been falling out i cant practically see my scalp when im in the shower so much falls out and even on a regular basis…its really noticable when im under a bright light its so embarassing especially when your a teenage girl in your last year of high school and if you think that head and shoulders isnt full of chemicalls you have no idea what your talking about theres lead in the shampoo and if you knew what led did to you when you touched it it clearly cant be any good for your scalp…how do you think it stops dandruff which i may add it does very well its called CHEMICALLSS!! ive spent the last year crying over this hair loss and im going to imidiatly stop using H&S and if i see my hair starting to grow back i swear i will seww this company! no one should be using this product if it actually is the source of my hair loss! and clearly if this many ppl are saying its doing the exact same thing to them its true…i am perfectly healthy and only 16 there is no reason for my hair to be falling out except for this crappy product! and i also use ocean lift!
its better to have a little but of dandruff which can be removed with another product then go bald!
Stef, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: many people on this planet lose their hair. It happens to both men and women. It isn’t Head & Shoulders doing it, honey, it’s GENETICS.
Now, I have to come clean. I am not an expert. I don’t even really use Head & Shoulders.
If you’re 16 and your hair really is falling out, then that sucks. But keep in mind, it’s normal to lose stray hairs in the shower. That happens to everyone. I don’t know the actual statistics, but I believe it’s normal for a person to lose hundreds of hairs each day. So don’t trip out over your hair falling out in the shower. At 16, you’re way too young to worry about your hair thinning out. But hey, if you’ve got the nerve and the money, go see a doctor and maybe you can get some Rogaine or something.
Randall, you are wrong. Not to mention, a hypocrite (you stated you had used the product, but now you say you “don’t even really use” it.
I remember using Head and Shoulders before for my dandruff, but I also noticed thinning. I had gone to my dermatologist for my hair loss. I was 17 at the time (now 18) and immediately she asked what shampoo I was using. As soon as I said Head and Shoulders, she told me to never use it again. She gave me a new “organic” shampoo and a few other products, and since then, I have not lost hair. It took a while to kick in, but now everything is okay.
I used to have a full head of thick hair, my barber used to tell me how lucky I was, and slowly, it did thin. He also asked if I was using Head and Shoulders, because he too had the same problem.
Brandon, I may have made inconsistent statements, but you are ignorant. And so is your dermatologist if she thinks that switching from Head & Shoulders to an “organic” shampoo will somehow prevent your genetics from doing their thing. I used Head & Shoulders shampoo between the ages of 12 and 25 and always had thick hair. Recently (over the last 2 years or so, I am now almost 27) my hair has been thinning. I attribute it to genetics. Interestingly, over most of the past 2 years I have been using organic shampoos. Most recently I’ve taken to washing my hair with the same bar of olive oil soap that I use on the rest of my body. My hair is still thinning. I suppose you’ll tell me that I shouldn’t be using bar soap to wash my hair, and that only actual shampoo will do. Well, I think the shampoos we’re using have nothing to do with it. It’s all in our genes. Perhaps products like Rogaine can actually prevent hair loss, but I am not sure I want to risk whatever side effects might be associated with putting that junk in my body. Plus, I imagine it’s outrageously expensive. No, I’ll just have to learn to live life as a baldy. You guys should probably start thinking about learning how to cope with your bodies as they are, rather than blaming some product for something that is natural.
Some of u guys say u lose alot of hair or whatever…exactly how many is alot? (say in the shower)
Hi there
After using Head and Shoulders Menthol ONCE, I have since had major irritation to my scalp.
This has now been causing me a problem for over a month with no signs of abating.
I’m finding that bacause I cannot alway conciously stop myself from scratching I am not loosing hair.
I dont think it is the shampoo that is causing this hair loss but the scratching.
Has anyone any any ideas how to get rid of this?
Jessica, this will probably sound a little crazy, but you might try massaging some hot salsa into your scalp (before showering, of course). You know, some brand like Pace Picante or something. I am not a medical doctor, but I think the hot oils in the salsa might have a beneficial effect on your scalp irritation. Hope this helps
I’ve been losing hair as all of you have and I have been using the accursed product for a very long time.
I am very glad that I finally put two and two together and did a google search for “Hair loss head and shoulders.” Hopefully now the healing can begin.
And Grant, I’m getting quite a bit of hair on each hand after washing it. We’re not talking like tufts of hair, but a good 10-15 on each hand perhaps (and those are just the ones on my hands).
Love, Tom
Oh yeah, and I’m 19 years old.
Hey everyone,
I’ve been thinking about using Head & Shoulders to help with my dandriff and oily hair, but im not sure whether i should after reading the comments everyone has made. I’m wondering if there is anyone that hasn’t experienced hairloss when using Head & Shoulders? Also, just as Jessica has mentioned, my scalp is very itchy and irritated. I’ve tried numerous shampoos and conditioners to help alleviate the itch, but nothing seems to work, including 3 different medicated shampoos. I’ve also tried rubbing olive oil on my scalp as a friend of mine had mentioned, but it didn’t make any differnce. Does anyone have any ideas that may help my problem?
My reply is to Randall. You are are not only ignorant, you are seriously, just plain stupid. You claim you are not a DR., chemist, nor toxocologist, yet give advice as if you have any sort of knowledge in chemistry. Every body reacts different to chemicals. People here are only expressing their own personal experience as you did. You are not the one and only chemical make-up of human on this earth. Open your mind.
Amy, for your problem, I would suggest trying Head & Shoulders shampoo for normal/oily hair. It is proven to reduce and prevent dandruff (the stuff that is causing your scalp irritation and itchiness). Pay no heed to the uneducated and ignorant comments posted by others on this forum. They are just poor souls suffering from ordinary hair loss. It isn’t caused by Head & SHoulders. It happens to everyone, sooner or later. Some people are just genetically predisposed to losing their hair earlier in life. There’s nothing (short of Rogaine or perhaps some other expensive prescription drugs) that can stop it. It isn’t caused by using shampoo. It’s caused by Mother Nature, herself.
Elvis, this I have to say to you: YOU are the stupid one, not I. Please take your inflamatory comments elsewhere. We are trying to have a civilized conversation here.
How do i know if im going bald.. My hair comes out when I rub my hands through my hair or wash it in the shower.. I just turned 17 wtf is going on? I think i’m probably losing 80-120 hairs a day and dont know why! What can I do? Could it be telogen effiluvum asI can see the bulb on the end of each hair that comes out and it is like club shaped?
I am 30 and have been using Head and Shoulders for 3 months and my hair is falling out in piles. I had no idea that it could cause hair loss and I am devastated. I can now see my scalp. I have now stopped using it but still see hair loss. Has anyone who has experienced this same thing seen their hair recover and grow back once the use ws stopped? I really need some hope.
I’m 31 and used to have very thick hair. I have hair loss in my family i.e. my father and my brother, but I luckily seem to have been excluded from this.
I started using Head & Shoulders about 7 years ago, but since the past 2 years I have noticed that my hair is thinning every where and to make it worse, I have small chunks of hair missing at the back of my head (which I think is logically impossible)! I have now stopped using this shampoo with the hope that my hair grows back, or atleast stops falling out.
Well Randall, from your comments it appears as if you are trying your best to take any blame of hair loss off of head and shoulders. Hmmmm, maybe you are associated with the company that produces the shampoo. Anyways, your comments are, shall I say contradictory. For example, everyone should take a look at comment 27 and comment 34. In his first comment he states something along the lines of using h&s for the first time and how it gave him thicker hair. Then in comment 34 he says he has been using the shampoo between ages 12 and 25, and that he is stilling thinning and is learning to live as a “baldy”. Anyone can see your opinion is unreliable and unusually biased, especially comment 27. Now, after getting that out of the way, I googled the active ingredient in head and shoulders, pyrithione zinc. I found info on pubmed and other electronic (scientific) journal sites as I have access to most of them through the univeristy I attend. There is no evidence indicating that pyrithione zinc causes hair loss. Two studies indicated that pyrithione zinc increased overall hair density. And of those two, one study also looked at hair diameter while the other didn’t and it showed that pyrithione zinc slightly decreased hair diameter and increased sebum production. So, some good and bad news. Then there was another source that claimed the reason pyrithione zinc initially increases hair density because it irritates the area where it is applied, and the overall effect after continued use can be damaging to the hair and skin. This last source seemed a little shaky because the guy, Dr. Pickhart from skinbiology, who makes these claims sites sources but kind of puts the info out of context and compares the ingredients to other ingredients in a way as to persuade readers. he is also trying to sell a product. I didn’t want to research all the ingredients in H&S as it would take a long time, but I am relatively sure pyrithione zinc, the active ingredient, doesn’t cause hair loss. I used head and shoulders and felt like it was making my hair fall out more rapidly, which could be any one of the ingredients in the shampoo, or maybe the ingredients in combination with the pyrithione zinc. Anyways I still had dandruff so I found this shampoo with pyrithione zinc and way less other ingredients in it compared to head and shoulders. The shampoo is also much milder (less drying). It is DHS Shampoo. It has 2% pyrithione zinc and I only use it once a week now since I got my dandruff under control. I believe it is better than Head and shoulders. In conclusion, if you believe a shampoo is causing obvious hair loss then stop using it and find something else. If you’re still losing hair then as Randall said, “learn to live life as a baldy.” The links to the sources I used will be posted next.
Here is the link to a study indicating that pyrithione zinc slightly increases overall hair density. This study didn’t look at hair diamter:
http://www.hairloss-research.org/HeadandShoulders.html
Here is a link to a study indicating that pyrithione zinc also slightly increases overall hair density, but that pyrithione zinc also decreases hair diameter:
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6099870-description.html
Here is a link to what Dr. Pickhart has to say about zinc. He briefly mention pyrithione zinc and sites credible sources, however his arguments has some flaws espeically how he compares pyrithione zinc to topical steroids, an example of trying to persuade the reader with obviously false claims:
http://www.folligen.com/
For the last link you have to scroll down to see the section on zinc. it is right before the drawing of the eye. the two studies can be found in full length on pubmed if you have access otherwise you get a summary. Randall, comment 27 cracks me up, “Women at work have noticed too” (spoken in a mocking high-pitched tone.) Good luck to everyone else.
I’m 18 years old and used the H&S Refresh 2-in-1 for about 3 weeks when I noticed how much hair I was losing after every shower I took. So I stopped using it for about a month and a half, but I’m still losing more and more each day! A lot of people seem to think an herbal type of shampoo helps stop the hair loss… thanks everyone. You have no idea how much I appreciate the advice. I love my long Hawaiian hula hair! I’m in my prime!! =D
I’m 27 years old, with long thick hair. I never had any problems with my hair - whatsoever - and there was never such thing as “hair loss” in my family history. I thought I’d try an H&S shampoo for a change because I heard it was a good brand. The very first time I used it, my hand caught a lot of hairs when I ran it through my hair while showering… and it caught even more when I ran it through again. The hair was abnormally thin, sticky and yucky, which never happened before. I thought maybe it was just an accident, or maybe there was an external cause (thought there really weren’t any changes to my showering setting or anything like that), and used it again in about a week. Same thing happened. During the two weeks since I first used the shampoo, I also noticed that a lot of hairs were left on my pillow in the morning every time. Yuck!
I had a suspicion that the shampoo could have caused it, so I went back to the store and bought a herbal shampoo that I have used before and that I liked a lot for the way it worked. Guess what… The first time I used it after throwing out H&S, some hair fell out, but significantly less than during the two weeks of using H&S. My hair felt almost fine again, a little sticky and a little more thin than always, but a lot better compared to the way it was after H&S. The second time I used the herbal shampoo, no hair fell out at all. Everything appears to be back to normal, and my hair is back to being nice and thick.
When I went to my dermatologist and told her the story, she said that yes, she had a lot of patients who experienced problems with hair while using H&S, and she also recommended the herbal shampoo that I was already using because she said that it should work better than most chemical shampoos.
Conclusion: H&S was most definitely what caused the untypical problems with my hair. I am definitely going to be looking into sueing the company using the assistance of a few very talented chemical engineers, good friends of mine.
TO EVERYONE…
Take it as a general rule that any chemicals, whether they be applied inside or outside, are bad for you in one way or another despite anything that is claimed. While each “beneficiary” chemical fixes one thing, it almost always breaks something else, and that it easy to prove.
If you really want your issues to be healed, do your research into herbal alternatives, because they work just fine, and work with no side effects like many chemicals do.
Whenever I use Head & Shoulders, there always seems to he a lot of hair coming loose on my hands as I rub the shampoo in. Whenever I wash my hair and DON’T use the product, the problem does not occur. For me, there is a clear relationship between using Head & Shoulders and losing hair.
what herbal shampoo do you guys reccomend?
I am a biotechnology researcher who has spent the past two years studying hair loss/ hair growth. I have read hundreds of scientific papers on the subject and heard lectures by many of the world’s leading researchers on the topic. I have never heard Head & Shoulders (or any other anti-dandruff shampoo) mentioned as being associated AT ALL with hair loss. On the contrary, I have seen that zinc, a component of many anti-dandruff shampoos, has been correlated with PREVENTING hair loss in some studies…
Hi I’m also a Head and Soulders fan and my daughter too. I read this complaits about H & S and understand now why my hair is falling out, my daugter 16 got the same problem, when we stop using the H & S shamphoo our hair stop falling out.
I am imediately stopping the use of H & S shamphoo s from today.
Y’all must be smokin’ the crack rock if you think H&S is causing your hair to fall out! Each of you describes a similar scenario: You wash your hair with H&S shampoo, and notice loose hairs on your hands after massaging your scalp. Well, I have news for all of you fools: Hair ALWAYS falls out in the shower. It doesn’t matter what kind of shampoo you use, you are going to lose hundreds of hairs each day. That is just a fact of life. Want to know another fact of life? Most people experience hair thinning, and many people go bald. Get yourselves to a dermatologist and get some ROGAINE, people! Quit dissin’ H&S, a truly magnificent company!
p.s., by the way… yesterday I took a shower and used Head & Shoulders shampoo to wash my hair… then I went grocery shopping… then, as I was walking to my car in the parking lot outside the grocery store, I found a $20 bill lying on the ground! THANK YOU HEAD & SHOULDERS! =)
Hi, I´m a 24 year old man and I have a small problem with my hair. My hair on top of my forehead is getting thinner and the hairline is getting higher and higher. About two weeks after I started using Head & Shoulders shampoo I noticed that I was losing significantly more hair than i did before. I could not find any other reason for the increasing hair loss then the H&S shampoo I had bought. I think that Head & Shoulders shampoos should be taken off the market and tested on animals or something. There is definitely something wrong with the product. I have not tried all the H&S products, and I think I’m not going to:), but at least the one I tried increased my hair loss.
DaMan, have you ever considered the possibility that the reason for your increased hair loss is the fact that you are getting OLDER? You are not a child anymore. You are a 24 year old man. It isn’t like people start growing MORE hair on their heads as they get older. H&S isn’t causing your hair loss, man. Old age is.
Hi, i’m 22 years old.
I started using H&S 2-in-1 for like, 3 years ago on a daily base.
I never checked if my hair falls out because my hair always looked normal to me.
4 months ago i had my usual haircut and i noticed my front hairline is somewhat thinner then it used to be.
I checked on the internet and i saw this article and your comments.
My family does not have a big history of a genetic hair lose, tho some people in my family lost hair slowly in their 40+ age.
So, i stopped using H&S 4 months ago, i started taking propecia just in case my hairlose is genetic.
i replaced the shampoo to nizoral, a healthy anti dandruff shampoo.
Now i check my hands on the shower after i wash my hair, i still lose a nice amount of hair even tho i’m taking propecia, and you all know propecia stop hair from falling to 90% of the people.
It hasn’t stopped my hair lose, which makes me think, either i’m very unlucky to be in the 10% who propecia doesn’t have an effect on, or either propecia has nothing to do with stopping my hair lose.
Now i really think that H&S made my hair fall and getting thinner.
After i stopped using H&S, my sister asked me if she can use it.
I warned her and said yes, and she used it and threw it away 2 weeks later.
Guess why?
Yep, her hair started to fall off…
We should take H/S to the court.
Eliran, I think it’s strange that you used H&S for over 3 years before you began to notice your hair loss. If H&S was really contributing to your hair loss (especially if H&S caused your sister’s hair to start falling out after only 2 weeks of use) then don’t you think it would have started happening sooner?
Hmm, let’s think about this. You’re 22 now. Many people begin losing their hair in their early twenties. Some people begin to lose their hair in high school. But between the ages of 19 (when you began using H&S) and 22, you experienced no hair loss. Now, at 22, you’re beginning to notice some thinning. I know you claim that people in your family don’t start thinning until they reach their 40s, but genetics work in mysterious ways. Maybe the baldness gene skipped a few generations in your family, and showed up in you. I don’t know where you got your statistics (that Propecia works on 90% of the people who use it), but that leaves 10% of the people who use it without a remedy. Don’t you think it’s POSSIBLE that you’re just one of the unlucky 10%?
Randall, it may even take 3 years to really notice a hair thinning.
I always had a thin hair, but it remained this way all the time.
It is possible that my hair was a bit thinner after 1 year of using H&S, and i just didn’t noticed because i never really used to overlook my hair, i just kept my hair short all the time, and a small thinning wasn’t noticeable to me.
Hair thinning proccess may take years until you notice any difference.
Another thing i can say is, that not only my hair on the top got thinner, also the hair in the back of my neck and at the top of my ear (the places people never lose their hair when they are balding) also got thinner.
I used to wash my whole head with H&S.
It is of course possible i lose my hair from another reason, but by the reactions here, it looks suspicious.
Randall, take it easy. Stop reading hair loss blogs and get a life. This is for people who are pretty sure H&S is the cause. And I’m pretty sure it is for me. No sign of hair loss in my family and I’m only 18 years old. Anyway RANDALL, I switched to some herbal shampoo since everyone seems to think it’ll put a halt to the damage H&S supposedly done or is doing. And since you’re still reading this (because you don’t have a life), what do you have to say about my situation:
Long hair… more hair loss than the usual like 5 strands a shower, 5 strands for the rest of the day… H&S for a week and now my hair is thinner… 20 strands a shower, around 35 strands for the rest of the day……… why the sudden increase in hair loss??
Eliran, you simply are not taking into account the fact that you’re getting older. Especially if you’ve always had thin hair, then it is likely that your hair will continue to thin out as you age. That is exactly what is happening to you now. The reason you’re noticing it now, and the reason you never noticed it before, is because it JUST STARTED HAPPENING. Two years ago, the process hadn’t started yet. That’s why you were able to go three years using H&S without losing any hair. Try something other than Propecia, mate. Get thee to a doctor.
Kia’aina, don’t tell me to stop reading hair loss blogs. You are not the boss of me. YOU get a life! You are the one standing around in the shower counting strands of hair. Get a life! But for your information, you have always lost more than 5 strands of hair in the shower. You probably just weren’t paying very close attention before. It is very normal to lose many strands of hair per day. I do have a question for you though. Have you been eating fast food lately? Studies indicate that eating fast foods like McDonald’s, Burger King, Jack in the Box, etc, can contribute to premature hair loss.
ooh randal, why are you being so hard on people. i have suffered with alopecia areata for years now and hair loss is a painful experience. if people find that something affects the rate their hair falls out who are you to tell them they are wrong. with my experience of alopecia there are certain things that i avoid because i know that they accelerate my hair loss, i dont use head and shoulders but you cannot guarantee that it will not be an accelersnt for my alopecia no more than i can say the reason for yours is because your a self righteous sod.
as has been said everything affects everyone differently. hair loss has many causes alopecia and pattern baldness are just two.
prehaps if you open your mind you will realise that just because you have male patern hair loss does not mean that everyone else with hair loss has the same problem. therefore you cannot say what the cause or cure could be. even if it is a placebo and it stops the hairloss the problem it works! good for them.
casey, it just bothers me that all of these people have made up their minds that Head & Shoulders is causing their hair to fall out, when in reality I highly doubt that is the case. These people have not conducted controlled experiments applying the scientific method. They have proved nothing. They know nothing. They are just ignorant people who have grabbed hold of the first answer they could think up, and now they are spreading a vicious rumor over the world wide web. If no one else stands up to speak on behalf of Head & Shoulders, then I feel it is my duty to defend them.
I am not self righteous. YOU are.
Randall… reading your comments it’s quit obvious that you’re suffering a very deep deep pain inside you, what are you writing is a mirror of a huge struggle inside you.. so when you’re saying hair loss is normal again and again in your comments.. it just seems that you’re writing your own thoughts.. well dear take it easy.. we all loss hair here, and listen to yourself… instead of posting here merely just to convince yourself.
Anyhow I just came to this page cause I started to lose a lot of hair the past 4 mounts.. the first thing is to use H&S (not Refreshing one)… since I knew the experience from two of my friends, many years ago, but it just continued after that I shaved my hair but no thing changed… again and for last option I tried H&S refreshing, and guess what my hair stop falling and immediately. I don’t know how that works but I think there must be something in this product makes some people loss hair more rapidly while- as in my case- gives others a hope. I just want to know about others who may experienced, as same to me. Thank you all
What’s the new chemical that’s been added to the H&S for Sensitive Scalps? I have had a reaction to it and it was never in it before.
“Kia’aina, don’t tell me to stop reading hair loss blogs. You are not the boss of me. YOU get a life!”
HAHAHA you’re too funny Randall. We should be friends.
“Have you been eating fast food lately? Studies indicate that eating fast foods like McDonald’s, Burger King, Jack in the Box, etc, can contribute to premature hair loss.”
Seriously? I had no idea. cool. bye… forever.
Ahmad, thank you for the psychological diagnosis. I found it to be very moving and helpful. In fact, I think I’m cured. After reading your comments the deep, deep pain and huge struggle inside me disappeared!
Regarding your other comment (that “we all lose hair”): I know that. Read every single message I’ve posted on this forum. I’ve mentioned that fact in all of them.
Kia’aina, dear, what is your problem? Do you got a problem with me or something? What did I ever do to you? Why are you so aggressive towards me? I think you are suffering from a deep, deep pain and a huge struggle inside you. You should talk to Ahmad about that. He might be able to offer you some words of encouragement.
I have been losing hair rapidly ever since I started using head and shoulders, it was only recently that i even considered it might be the cause (I guess i get sucked in by the advertising) and now i am all but certain it was due to the shampoo. I always had very thick hair but now most of its all over my pillow and down my plug hole instead of on my head.
To Randall, what exactly is YOUR problem? As has been said before, everyone reacts to different to the ingredients of anything (dumbing it down - if not try to explain allergies…).
its really great that you have fully accepted your hairloss (which Im finding hard to believe, how did you arrive at this forum anyway? searching for pirate DVDs? i think not), and we are all very happy for you. however, you think its normal for 16 year olds to start balding? You are very naiive if you think that the testing of these products makes them 100% safe - there have been certain makeups that had to be recalled due to the dicovery that they contributed to birth defects, open your eyes. Since when was this an attack on head and shoulders? we are simply a group of people that share a common problem with this particular product and are seeking help and advice.
I am going to admitt that we are certainly a minority as this company would be bankrupt already if we were not but this does not mean we can be ignored, if anything we are helping the company by bringing the issue to their attention… and Randall, when exactly did you sell your soul to them?
Also, im guessing your in your late twenties or thirties so i have no problem with telling you to GROW UP.
Liam, I am not even going to dignify your comments with a response.
First of all, I don’t have a problem, except for ignorant people like YOU coming onto this forum and spouting off pseudo-science like you have any idea what you’re talking about (I think not).
Second, although it certainly is unfortunate, it it not unheard of for a 16 year old to start baldling. It happened before Head & Shoulders existed and, unless some new gene therapy is developed to cure baldness, it will continue to happen, regardless of whether or not the person is using Head & Shoulders.
How dare you call me naïve. You are the one who is showing an obvious lack of sophisitcation and understanding when you come to this forum and talk trash about a highly reputable company that has done more for this world than you will probably do in your whole life. Without Head & Shoulders, think of how many people would still have dirty hair. You should thank your lucky stars that Head & Shoulders is around to help people with a very real problem: dandruff. The next time you are behind a woman in line at the grocery store and she flips her hair and sprays disgusting little white particles of dandruff in your direction, you will be SORRY you ever said a disparaging word about Head & Shoulders.
Finally, I have not sold my soul to anyone except Jesus. Maybe you have heard of him.
Finally, YOU grow up.
WOW wow wow there… What?? Randall im affraid your comments make no sense whatsoever, you have either not read my comment at all and have just come up with this premeditated response or you didnt understand a word i said. i suggest you reread my comment and then procede to insult me - all of your arguments were covered in my comment so i feel no need to elaborate.
And by the way thanks for the dignification of my comments…
I just turned 18 and I’ve been using Head & Shoulders for a number of years because of dandruff. I have a bald spot forming of really thin hair and I’m losing mas quantities of hair each time I shower. I never thought of the corilation until now, so I’m going to pickup new shampoo.
I’m assuming that its either the harsh chemicals used to treat dandruff while doing everything else a shampoo does, or even a weird allergic reaction.
I’m too young to lose my hair, I’m stuck wearing hats!
I have had hairloss from a undiangnosed ringworm infection, i was useing H and S and it definatly helped for many years but when i switched to a different type of H and S within days i was losing handfulls of hair, if you have dandruff there are other medical reasons for it it might not just be dandruff. anyways all my problems went away when i started using my dogs shampoo from the vet. Vet Solusions Canadian medicated shampoo. good for zits too!
Oh my God, I just told my hubbie to buy me some H&S. I used it in my teenage years and can’t remember anything bad happening. I thought of trying it to REDUCE my hair loss now that I am 26.
Anyway, what I do know is that people using H&S here are probably suffering from dandruff…which is often caused by excess sebum which is affected by DHT etc…..meaning in short, if you have dandruff, you’re losing your hair too….okay if it has not come out yet, it will !!! I had loads of stress and bad nutrition previously and got itchy, flaky, messy scalp and hair started falling shortly after. I did NOT use H&S…but I guess if I HAD USED it, I WOULD HAVE BLAMED H&S thinking it was the cause of my hairloss. I CONTINUED LOSING HAIR 3-4 MONTHS after the dandruff episode, which goes to show that while the dandruff may manifest for a short period, the hairloss can continue for a longer time.
DANDRUFF GOES HAND IN HAND WITH HAIRLOSS, whether hormonal, nutritional or stress related (temporary or permanene)…BOTH SHARE THE SAME CAUSE(S).
Now, having said this, what scared me REALLY is that H&S has been proved to reduce the diameter of the hair shaft ?????
Now that IS BAD !!! For appearance sake and possible long term repercussions.
hey everyone, it doesnt take a genius to see that there has to be a correlation between hair loss and head and shoulders. i dont have one family member, not even an ancestor that didnt have a huge fro full of hair when they were old, i used head and shoulders for two years because of the crappy water on navy ships causing dandruff, and my hair has thinned rediculously, i stopped using it and my hair is now thicker, probably the easiest scientific experiment i have ever done. maybe some people arent affected by the chemicals, but i promise there is something in that shampoo that causes hair loss in quite a few people.
John Abbas, your “scientific experiment” proves absolutely nothing. All you have described is your own after-the-fact guess as to why your hair thinned.
Have you ever thought that maybe your hair wasn’t thinning because of the Head & Shoulders, but rather because of the “crappy water on navy ships”?
You claim that you don’t have even a single ancestor who lost their hair in old age. I find that statement difficult to accept. Do you have photographs of ALL of your ancestors to document this claim? I highly doubt it! I think, perhaps, you’re exagerating a little?
Thank you for your “promise” that Head & Shoulders “causes hair loss in quite a few people.” However, I am not convinced. Do a little more experimentation and get back to me with the results.
I’m not gonna say a bad thing about H&S. It worked well against my dandruff. Seriously! And it also gave me a new look. The look of a mature, wiser man. A bald man, that is! And all that in less than a year of using this magnificent product. It even shocked my barber, who btw was the one to mention first the relation of H&S and hairloss. Well, being a bit sceptic (no offense to my barber) made me do my own little research, and here i am. A whole bunch of “satisfied” H&S users. Let us all thank this amazing shampoo!
I have also been experiencing hair loss due to the use of Head&Shoulders! I never had any type of problem with hair thinning or loss before and since I have started using HS I have tons of hair coming out in the shower or even just throughout the day! I detest this product now and will never use it again.
Also, Randall is the CEO of Head&Shoulders so everyone can just ignore all of the pro-Heaad&Shoulders comments that he makes, including the one that he will most likely leave in response to me!
I’m 16 years old and have been using Head and Shoulders for about 5 months now. I’ve always had ridiculously thick hair, but as of a few weeks ago, I’m waking up with hair all over my pillow and all over the floor in my bathroom. To the credit of Head and Shoulders, it did get rid of my dandruff…..But…Since my hair is naturally thick and oily, I would wash my hair with Head and Shoulders in the morning and at night. And now my hair is the thinnest that it’s ever been…..Balding isn’t hereditary in my family…..So….I even talked to a doctor and he said that I should have only been using the shampoo 2 times a week at most. 2 times per day, everyday was basically frying my hair, he said. He suggested I stop immediately, so I have. Already my hair isn’t falling out as much……I know that it doesn’t do this to everyone…..but it did me, and it’s the only logical explanation.
I’m 30 and I too have thining heir problem since a 1 year or so… It does correspond with my usage of H&S ORIGINAL. I use Nioxin since about a year and its supposed to be one of the best out there for thin hair problems but no luck. I never bought the 3rd step though so it might not work as supposed to. Knowing my body a lot, I suspect that the source of my problem (and possibly most people here) is actually DRY SCALP. I have used H&S Dry Scalp for many years before and I never had any problem until I ran out and found a large H&S original that I had in stock and started using that instead because I did’nt want to throw it away. I think if you use H&S original and you’re mistaking your dry scalp for a dandruff problem, my guess is you get your problem worse. If your scalp is dry, I think it would be logical that your hair growth suffers. I noticed that I still had a dry scalp using Nioxin (which is not meant to treat dry scalp)so no later that today I went back to H&S Dry Scalp. I would’nt be surprised at all that to see my hair get thicker again. I’ll post the results of my study soon. I hope this will help some of you.
Head and Shoulders definitely causes hair loss!!!! I don’t have dandruff, but am a huge fan of coupons!!!!! I bought a huge bottle of Head and Shoulders because it was part of a deal I got using coupons. I have been plagued recently with an acne problem and have been researching natural remedies. Part of my research included a zinc deficiency…and mentioned H&S. I brought out this bottle of Head and Shoulders and started using it as a shampoo and a body wash. Not only did my hair on my head (especially the CROWN) start falling out, but so did the hair on my body!!!!! This after only a few times of using it.
I immediately stopped using it on my head, but as a woman, what a fantastic way to shed unwanted hair on your body!!!!!!! I took a bath using Head and Shoulders…and I have not had to shave my legs for a WEEK. COOL.
Everyone has a different body chemistry. As individual as your fingerprint. Therefore, everything will affect everyone differently. Obviously with all the comments on here, there is a sufficient amount of evidence that many experience hair loss with the use of Head and Shoulders shampoo. The few that haven’t are obviously exceptions as there are with any product, food, supplements, drugs,….blah, blah, blah.
So…if you want to lose your hair anywhere on your body, use Head and Shoulders. Will save you thousands of dollars in shavers, creams, even expensive laser treatments….lol
Peace!
My story is similar to many others I am 26 years old & I have been using “Head & Shoulders” on a daily basis for years. I never made the connection between my thinning hair line (especially on the top of my head) & using this product until my Dad who has head healthy hair for many years pointed it out to me recently. I thought that if there were some risk of baldness that there should have been a clear warning on the shampoo bottle itself. Like others I am now trying to find a product to help my hair any way possible.
I’ve been using H&S for about a year. It does an okay job on my dandruff, which was never really that serious anyway. Anyway, in the last year I’ve watched my hairline slowly recede. My brothers, one who also has dandruff, but uses a different shampoo, have no balding issues and my dad (at 54) still has a head full of hair. I’m 27, close to getting married, and not particularly tickled about losing the hair. I figured it was someone from my mom’s side, when I came across this website. I’m dumping my H&S to see if my hairline will cease its march. If there’s no change, I don’t see why I should blame the shampoo.
Head and Shoulders SUCKS. I have lost a massive amount of hair within a month of using this shampoo. It took me a month to realize that this was the cause of the problem (I was thinking more along the lines of a medical problem.)
I can’t believe I found this site and so many other people going through the same thing. I can only hope that this will get better after a shampoo switch. DO NOT BUY THIS PRODUCT.
It turns out that Head and Shoulders as well as other shampoos that contain the same ingredients are actually proven to regrow and prevent hair loss. Anecdotal evidences is worthless.
http://www.hairloss-research.org/HeadandShoulders.html
Of course, I stumbled across this blog because I did a search for “pyrithione zinc hair loss.” My husband is 20 years old and until recently had thick, black hair. He started using the original Head and Shoulders about 5 months ago, not because he had dandruff, but because his head was itching, especially when he worked out. It cured the itching and he was happy about that. He then tried Citrus Breeze H&S, and about 1 month ago tried Smooth and Silky H&S. Over the past couple of weeks, his hair has been falling out in large quantities. His hair line is receding and you can now see his scalp on the top of his head. He is already having to sport the comb-over! Mind you, all this hair loss happened in about 2 weeks time. I read the back of his shampoo bottle and told him that probably his first problem was that he was using the H&S too frequently. He was shampooing with it twice a day - in the morning and after working out – about 5 days a week, and once a day for the 2 days he didn’t work out – you do the math – 12 times a week, which the bottle says to use at least 2 times a week, but safe to use with each shampoo. I began to question if the H&S was causing this rapid hair loss and wanted to research it. I thought that if you began losing your hair due to genetics, it would be a gradual process, not just suddenly having handfuls of hair fall out every time you shower. Genetically, my husband’s mother’s side doesn’t lose their hair even in old age, and his father’s side doesn’t lose their hair until their 30’s, if at all. My husband eats healthily and takes a multi-vitamin daily, and is not stressed (other than about losing his hair!). He is allergic to solid gel deodorants, he’s found, so maybe there is some connection there. In the meantime, he’s stopped using the H&S and we’re going to try to find a mild herbal shampoo and conditioner (any suggestions???) and hope that his hair will grow back and it’s not too late. We’re going to take a closer look at ingredients in the H&S products that he’s used…maybe it’s not the pyrithione zinc and is something else that he may be allergic to. I do find all of this confusing, as many of you have suspected a connection between H&S and hair loss, but that studies show the zinc can actually prevent hair loss. For those of you who had been using H&S for years and then experienced hair loss, it would be pushing it to blame the H&S and not genetics. But for those of you who had only just begun to use the product, then tons of hair fell out, then you stopped using the product, and your hair went back to normal, it seems obvious that H&S is to blame. Who knows!? I was hoping to find a definite link between H&S/p. zinc and hair loss. Then again, it’s not uncommon for companies to pay to keep undisclosed any research that may undermine their product. I’ll be checking this from time to time, so keep us all posted with any new testimonies/research/suggestions.
30 year old male with very little hair loss in our genetic tree. Grandfather on my Mother’s side had a full of head hair before he passed, and my 1st cousins on the same side of my family do as well. I do not drink alcohol, do not smoke, do not take any medications, no allergies, no sickness of any kind and no history of drug use (marijuana, heroin, cocaine…etc).
Pattern of hair loss was odd. I was losing hair on my frontal line, and in between my frontal line and crown. Odd pattern and did not match any documented genetically lost hair patterns.
I have routinely utilized head and shoulders in my daily regiment for the last 3 years due to an itchy scalp and noticed that high number of hairs would shed during showering and for sometime afterwards - I honestly and truthfully believed it was normal shedding of the follicle because of my genetic inheritance and assumed the rate of regrowth equaled the rate of shedding. Well I couldn’t have been more wrong in my assumptions.
I started to look into my lifestyle to determine what the problem may be - diet, exercise…etc. By complete chance I ran out of Head and Shoulders shampoo and begun using what my girlfriend has on hand until I had the ambition to pick up some more. It had been just over 1 month since I have stopped using Head and Shoulders and my rate of shedding has decreased significantly. I was experiencing nearly an average of 80 hair strands shed per day to an average of 30 per day. That’s quite an improvement! The hair I had lost on the frontal region (my hair line) has begun to regrow. Coincidence?
I wanted to test the working theory. I decided to use Head and Shoulders for 1 month (I chose 1 month because that is what it took for my hair to regrow) to determine whether it conclusively lead to my hair loss. I did not have to wait long to see the results; after 1 (ONE) shampoo my hair had begun to shed. No time wasted at all. I began to shed hair at the rate during my heavy usage. I stopped usage immediately.
After I stopped usage, the hair loss I experienced is now coming back. Good bye Head and Shoulders.
I have not tested Selsun Blue, and am afraid to see the results.
Addendum to my health history:
I work out every day (weight training, interchanged with cardio) and eat extremely well. I eat fast food once every 3 months to satisfy my Burger King fix (bad habit)
I started using H&S about 6 months ago. It was fine for awhile, then it must have happened fast. Its its going quick. I have stopped using it. But now it tingles and some times has a slight burn.
I want answers.
OMG….I’m having a fit right about now, I never dreamed that head and shoulders could be the reason my hair has fell out. I had extremely thick hair 7 months ago and I’m embarrassed now because when i pull my hair back it’s like i have parts all over the place and it’s all from my hair being so thin now. My husbad has also developed baldness bad at the crown and it’s came on fast, I can’t believe that I let him convince me his has came on due to his age, a young 46 and I was to slow to put it all together. I even asked my doctor what could be causing my hair to fall out and quit taking the meds he had perscribed for me because I thought that was it. This has been very stressful for me…being female and afraid any morning could be my last with hair…
Boy am I glad that I used Google to research H&S. I never thought I would turn up responses like this. I am 22 and in good health, I take a multivitamin daily and don’t eat junk food. After using the generic grocery store brands and the like for years I started using H&S a few months ago to get rid of some dandruff. Thats when the redness and soreness started. Sometimes the entire top of my scalp would be sore for no apparent reason. Also, the hair just looked fragile and unhealthy. I even had family members and barbers tell me my scalp looked red and irritated. Then I started to notice some thinning spots. I have always had thick bushy hair. I at least expected to have a full head of hair until 30!
Now I will freely admit I don’t have all the variables accounted for, but the biggest change that I can think of is my switch to using head and shoulders. I recently stopped using it after finding all these reports of hair loss, and all the spots may not have filled in, but my hair already feels much better. Even if this stuff isn’t causing hair loss, I think a lot of people must be allergic to it. I am going to wait another month before I make any real conclusions, but like I said, my hair feels better after just a few days, and the soreness and redness are already gone, so I have my fingers crossed.
I’m 25, men in my family have male pattern baldness…but everybody has thick hair on top….except me. I started using H&S when I was 18, the past 3-4 years my hair has been thining evenly on my head. I found this board almost a year ago and stopped using H&S. My dandruff has returned and my head is ichy. But, you know what? My hair is resprouting on top, maybe thats why it is itchy…. I used H&S daily…maybe this was a mistake. At any rate I’ll spend the rest of my life telling people not to use this product and what it did to me.
I can’t believe this. I started using Head & Shoulders in high school and used it for about 3 years. By the time I was a senior my hair started to really thin out, and I had a very thick head of hair. I always though it was the Head & Shoulders but was never certain. I thought it was probably just a coincidence. Needless to say I stopped using it and now at 28 I’m thinking of getting hair transplants. After seeing this blog and reading about everyone else’s experiences I’m convinced that it was this stupid shampoo that I used. I can’t believe these people could put a product like this on the market without giving it proper tests. I mean this is something that affects all of us for a lifetime. Now I’m not the kind of person that believes that suing is the answer for everything but in this case I think it’s called for. If for nothing else maybe it could take this product off the shelf so it doesn’t ruin anyone else’s life. I say we should all come together and start a class action lawsuit against them. Who’s with me?
I would recommend trying a shampoo containing Ketoconazole. It has found to be way more effective in treating dandruff and also has some regrowth possibillities.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nizoral
I have always had very thick hair and noone ever expected that I would suffer from hair loss. I started using Head and Sholders a year ago and since then I have been loosing hair at an alarming rate. I suspected it was Head and Sholders and now that I see there are many other people with the same concerns I’m going to stop using the product.
Yep….Head and shoulders causes hair loss…….it happened to me after 1 month of using…..somebody should sue these bastards on behalf of all of us!!!!!
HEAD N SHOLDERS IS CRAP DNT USE IS MY GIRL HAS GONE BOLD OF THIS CRAP
shampoo is good for treating hair, but its no good if you dont have any hair to use it with. I’ve stopped using H&S for 3 months and my hair is starting to regrowing. I was 16 when I started to use this product and immediately days later my hair started falling off. I knew the first time I used H&S, my scalp started to feel a intense burn when I applied it. I thought it was normal, so I continued using it. But months later my hair started fall off and it wasn’t just 1 or 2 hairs, its was a handful.
Wow, I just can’t believe that H&S could possibly be causing our family’s hair loss. I am very upset about this. At first I could run my hands through my hair and find 10 or so strands falling out each time. Immediatly went to the doctor, we checked on medical issues that might cause this to happen (thyroid, hormonal imbalance, daily meds, ect..). Nothing seemed it would be the cause. Then my 11 yr old son who has the in style longer hair for boys, who also used the product, realized that his hair came out in massive amounts too. After putting two and two together, my husband came to the conclusion that it probably is the use of this shampoo. That is when he googled and found all these enteries of people with the same problem. I am convinced, I only hope that stopping the usage will reverse the damages. Please stop using this product if you are experiencing the same issues. This has caused my son and me great heartache, I almost broke down and bought a wig for myself. But I think I will wait and see what happens since I threw my bottle away!!!!
yes this did happen to me aswell.
I was very young when it happend and went to see a doctor
because every time i took a shower i was loosing A LOT of hair and in time it started getting thinner and thinner
they said it was because i was stressed… but they didnt know i used head and sholders. I always belived the real cause of it was because of my shampoo because as soon as i got home i threw out the head and sholders and it stopped.
After that i switched to garnier to thinken my hair again.
Now, at age 15 my hair is back to normal and is really thick
I used this for the first time yesterday and this morning iv noticed the front of my hair is so much thinner then before and my scalp is so itchy and irritated! Dont use this product!
First of all, I want to point out that this Randall character quite obviously has an agenda that is in line with company. Between his complete inconsistency (I admit, I couldn’t be bothered to read every one) and his description of ladies at work noticing his luxurious hair, his description of H&S as a reputable company and his continual plugs for the product make this clear. I hope that anyone who visits this site that is intelligent enough to put two and two together and ignore his ignorant and futile ramblings.
Randall buddy, I hope I’m right. Otherwise you are completely pathetic for investing so much time and energy into a product that, as you say, does not affect you. What could this obnoxious display possibly bring to your life? You’re a one man show.
As for your defence of moral indignation, there are a lot of valuable causes in the world to be indignant about. Defending a hair product that may or may not aggravate hair loss in some people is certainly not one of them (unless of course you’re getting a paycheck for it as I previously implied- which is another level of pathetic). I suggest that you broaden your horizons… use your abundance of free time to try taking out one of the women admiring your luxurious hair or take up a cause that actually contributes to the world.
I also want to note that your trite need to prove something has already wasted far too much of my own time any energy. While I can be assured that you will read and respond to this post, you can be assured that I won’t bother returning to this site to read it. Some people have more relevant passions to pursue.
My advice to anyone that continues to read and become upset by this guy’s posts is to ignore him. A mad man’s rantings only matter if they are heard. I myself only validated his existence with this reply because I feel for the guy. What a sad life.
With that aside, this site does pertain to me, unlike our sad but amusing friend Randall. I thought that my situation might contribute to helping whoever is reading to make an informed decision:
I am a 19 year old female with no genetic predisposition to hair loss on either my mother or father’s side. I have three generations of family members who all have notably thick and healthy hair. I myself have always had abundantly thick and long hair and even get it cut in a way that thins it when I visit my stylist.
Within the span of a month I have begun using head and shoulders every day and have started to dramatically lose hair within the same time frame. I am losing handfuls in the shower and my scalp is now visible through my hair. My doctor agrees that even if I did have a genetic predisposition to hair loss that this is certainly not the rate in which natural hair loss would progress. I have been tested to rule out another problem but was advised to stop using the shampoo immediately, especially since the package states “if irritation occurs, discontinue use immediately.”
I find it very disturbing that so many young people, notably females, have had hair loss that they attribute to this product. Especially hair loss that develops rapidly. I do suspect that there is a correlation.
I have been using Head and Shoulders for a couple of years. I try to stop using it and my scalp feels like it is peeling off within a week. My dandriff gets really bad and I begin to get sores on my head and my hair starts to shed. I almost have no choice but to use it. I never had dandriff like this until I started using the product. I am going to fight it off for a few weeks this time and see if my scalp will return to normal. It is almost like my head is addicted.
I started using this product about a year ago because I had dandruff. The shampoo did indeed rid of the dandruff, however after a couple of months, I started experiencing hair loss, but it didn’t hit me with any concern until this past 2 months when I have been losing a considerable amount of hair. My friends also pointed out that I’ve started too look bald and my hairline has receded even more. My parents noticed it too, and pinned it on me not getting enough nutrition or sleep. I believed what my parents said, but for a while now I had a hunch that it might’ve been Head and Shoulders. My hair has thinned out considerably through speculation and I am losing more than 20 strands of hair a day. According to some of the comments, the user’s hairlines haven’t returned to its original condition. I surely hope it doesn’t happen to me. If it does, I wish I had knew about this earlier. Head and shoulders should look into this and put notifications on their product that it isn’t for daily use. As a matter of fact, I don’t think this product is worth it at all! Considering that there are more than 100 comments on this page, I think something should be done. My hairloss is definetely caused by this product. Beware!
Wow!! i’ve noticed for the last couple of months my hair looked different but just couldnt point it out. Then today i go to the cym and a friend of mine says ” damn man, your hair is thinning out” i got scared as hell and ran for a mirror! i noticed that my hair was very thin on the top and didnt know what was going on. My dadsside and my mothers side of the family dont have any hair issues what so ever. My dad is 64 and has thick long dark hair! So i do a search on my shampoo ” head & shoulders” that i have been using in the past two months and i am shocked but releived to see that it is indeed what i am putting on my scalp and nothing genetic. I just threw the damn bottle away and well never use it again. i’d rather rubb dog sh*t on my head then have super thin hair. i am a pretty boy that like lookin good for the ladies and i’m only 26. I’m just not gonna wash my hair for a month. Good luck. i’m out!!
also i was using ocean lift… i’m not going to put anything on my head for a month…then after that time period i am going to use an all natural shampoo. ps randall is a dumba$$
I used one bottle of Head and Shoulders and during that period (several months) I lost probably 60-70% of the hair on my head, especially the top part. I wasn’t smart enough to do a Google search on it, but finally did. Now I’m just hoping the hair will grow back. This product definitely needs to be investigated by the FDA and a class action should be filed.
If my hair does not grow back I will be seriously pissed.
I am a 37 year old female and have been using H&S for a few months. One day I noticed that I had some hair loss around my temples and then I really noticed that I had lost about 30% of the hair on top and front of my head. I am so upset and devastated! I have stopped using H&S and started taking a hair vitamin that is loaded with biotin and I have seen a slight improvement but again it has only been a couple of weeks. I have some new growth at my temples and in front. I only hope that the hair on top of my haed comes all they way back. I have an appointment to see a dermatalogist but I’m not sure what they are doing to say. Anyone who has expericenced this horrible feeling can you please post and tell if your hair has grown back.
Well guess what kiddies? Me too. I’m 38 and no one in my family has a history of hair loss. I was actually asked by my barber if I used H&S as my hair was thinning on the crown. He told me to never use it again as it causes hair loss. I used it daily for years. Hopefully it will thicken back in…
I am having the exact same problem. I noticed that my hair was starting to fall out after I started using Head & shoulders but I blamed the strees and my hectic lifestyle. But last night I was helping my daughter with her hair and hers is falling out too. She is 11 and the stress is not to be blamed. After I found this page I’m almost certain that is caused by the shampoo. We will never use this shampoo again.
bad boy randall company rep for H&S jesus you say and attack people
I have long hair and started using H&S for about 3 weeks. I started having my hair fall out to the point my husband is seeing every where and wanted me to go to the doctor to find out what was wrong with me because he has never seen someone lose so much hair as I have. I heard from a friend that it might be from H&S which caused me to go searching. I was surprised to find how many people have the same problem why has there been nothing done from the company?
sry 4 my bad english
I m using Head & shoulders for 4 years, i am 20. i noticed that my skin itches after i use Head & shoulders, and in the last 12 mounths i lost a loot of hair
Hi all,
i have never, i repeat NEVER had a problem with hair loss until i started using head and shoulders. its now particularly noticable around the tops of my temple and also the overall diameter of each strand of hair is visibly thinner. i am 32 years old and have always had a full thick head of hair
Randall i dont know exactly what your agenda is but you are sure pushing head and shoulders as a ‘reputable product’ waymore than normal- the fact youve responded to this forum so many times makes you very suspect
ps although im glad you found the $20 becuase you use head and shoulders hahaha..thats pretty funny.
ill def stop using it, find something else in the mid term and see how i go over the next 3 months
Hey everyone, I’m so glad to have found this forum. I’ve been using head and shoulder for 4-5 months now and my hair has been falling out like crazy. I loose 30-40 strands per day during and after showering. I’m frustrated especially since my hair is naturally thin and my family has history of hair loss. I don’t need additional and external cause for hair loss, especially at the age of 20. I would definitely stop using H&S immediately.