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Teen boys hop on to viral ‘No-shampoo’ TikTok trend despite experts saying it’s risky
Under a new trend on TikTok, No-shampoo, teen boys are ditching shampoo to wash their hair using alternative ways. Experts warn it can cause serious issues.
TikTok trends that border on being risky or turn out to be downright harmful have always been a matter of concern among parents, experts or authorities. The latest worrying trend on that list is the 'No-shampoo' trend. As per reports, the #Noshampoo or #Nopoo trend is gaining popularity among several TikTok users - especially teen boys and young men.
TikTok is filled with videos where many teen boys and young men promoted this trend, reported the New York Post. Some also claimed that their hair quality improved after ditching shampoo. However, experts disagree and say that this trend has the potential to do more harm than good.
What is the No-shampoo trend?
According to Healthline, the ‘No-shampoo’ concept is a philosophy where people clean their hair without using this traditional beauty product. They opt for alternate ways or wash their hair with just water.
Also Read: Medical expert warns of new TikTok trend ‘Go Barefoot Everywhere’: 'We're not Flintstones'
As per the New York Post, this trend can cause dandruff, stunted hair growth, irritation in the scalp, and, in some extreme cases, deteriorating scalp problems.
London-based dermatologist and scalp specialist Dr Anastasia Therianou explained to Daily Mail the harmful effects of the trend and shared, “Conditions that make the scalp itchy can mean that people scratch, breaking hair off at the roots”.
“But also, if sweat, oil and dirt block the follicles, you can find that the hairs don’t grow as efficiently as they could,” the doctor told the outlet. Also, not using shampoo to clean the scalp properly can cause “inflammation and flakiness”, requiring fungal shampoo to combat the issues.
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“If you’re not cleansing your scalp properly, the microbiome, or the collection of bacteria and fungus that live on the scalp, can become unbalanced,” she added.
“That’s when a yeast called Malassezia can proliferate. Malassezia causes dandruff because the yeast feeds on the oil produced by your scalp, and this process releases a by-product that irritates the scalp,” Therianou continued.
