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• Summer Is Here, Do Not Forget Your Sunscreen

• HairSite Editorial - 7/9/99

• HairSite Editorial

It's a fact. Sunlight or ultraviolet lights  (both UVA & UVB) is extremely damaging to our skin.  There are numerous scientific studies pointing to the fact that sun exposure is the primary cause of tissue damage, wrinkles, premature aging and even skin cancer.

Sadly, very often, we focus only on our face and ignore the fact that our scalp is just as vulnerable to sun exposure, if not more. Sunburnt on the scalp or any forms of sun induced tissue damage on the scalp can be damaging to our hair follicles and result in hair loss. This type of hairloss would be under the broader catergory of "scalp inflammation" related hair loss. Simply put, sunburnt may trigger an inflammatory response on our scalp that leads to hair loss. Young et al. demonstrated that scalp inflammation was present in over 96% of their patients with androgenic alopecia (source: Dr. Razack's "Conquering Hair Loss, page 50). Inflammation is a local response that the body produces toward some type of injury. In the case of sunburnt on our scalp, an immediate vascular activity resulting in both dilation and increased permeability of blood vessels take place. White blood cells are triggered to attack the site where sunburnt occurred. However, since the stimulus of inflammation is from an external source, ie: sun exposure, the white blood cells do not have any internal substances to act upon or attack other than interferring with the hair follucle cycle.

Sun exposure may also trigger bacterial activity on the scalp that leads to hair loss. Young et al (Young, Leavitt et al, Cutaneous Immunopathology of Androgenic Alopecia, JAOA; 91 (8)) suggested that it is not uncommon for bacteria to inhabit certain areas within the hair follicle. These light-activated bacteria, called Propionibacterium acnes, can cause inflammatory reaction in our scalps. Studies conducted by Saint-Leger et al and Hamilton & Ludwig (British Journal of Dermatology; 114:543-552, 1986)  both concluded that inflammation due to light exposure and the resulting bacterial activity can lead to hair loss.

It is also worth noting that sun exposure is not recommended for people who uses Retin-A in their hair loss treatment regimen. While it is true that Retin-A-Minoxidil combo treatments can enhance penetration of minoxidil and produce significantly better results for many people (reported earlier by us, see Library for details), Retin-A also enhance our scalps vulnerability to the sun. In fact, doctors and dermatologists always recommend that people who use Retin-A should avoid the sun. Retin-A treated areas are particularly prone to inflammation as a result of sun exposure. The inflammation is characterized by reddness, itch or minor swelling. So bear in mind that Rein-A is always a two-edge sword.

The sun is also the enemy for people who are experiencing so called "minoxidil burnt". This usually happens to people who are using 5% minoxidil. The symptoms are charaterized by severe itch, reddness of the scalp, excessive flakes and crutings etc. The sun can once again aggravate these symptoms and lead to more severe inflammatory conditions and hair loss.

All in all, use a sunscreen on your hair before you leave your home. It may be a novel concept for most people since most would only associate using sunscreen on their face or body. But nowadays more and more people have become cognizant of the fact that their scalps are just as vulnerable to the sun and many companies have introduced unique products to meet those needs.

Phytoplage High Protection Sun Spray: This is a topical hair spray formulated exclusively for sun protection. This is the only product in our review that provides the highest protection against sun exposure. Phytoplage contains eight plants extract selected for their emollient and softening properties, plus an anti-UV sunscreen which helps shield the hair from sun damage. According to the manufacturer, Phytoplage protects the hair from the drying effects of the sun, wind, sea water and chlorinated water in swimming pools. It prevents color oxidation in the sun and preserves the shine, suppleness and radiance of the hair.

The only problem is that this is an oil based product and some people find it a little too greasy and may weigh their hair down. While this product offers the highest protection against the sun, we do not recommend this to people with oily hair and scalp.

Ingredients: Castor Oil, Lappa Extract, Willow Leaf Extract, Lemon Oil, Sage Oil, Rosemary Oil, Juniper Oil, Lecithin, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Ethoxydiglycol, Dimethicone Copolyol, Octyl MEthoxycinnamate, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylparaben, Butylparaben.

Celluplex Thickening Serum with Sun Screen: This one is my favorite. This two-in-one all natural topical hair serum can instantly thicken your hair while at the same time provides a natural sun filter against ultraviolet damage. This hair spray is formulated with Celluplex Serum, an all natural hair thickening complex that can infuse vital nutrients and mositure deep into the cortex of the hair. The Celluplex serum together with a hosts of expensive herbal extracts can strengthen hair shaft and expand the diameter of the hair by increasing the mositure holding capacity of the hair. My only complaint is that this product does not come in a spray bottle. For best results, you should pour the serum into a spray bottle and use it as a spray despite the manufacturer's suggestion that the serum be applied directly to your scalp after shampoo. The reason I suggest that the serum be used as a spray and not directly onto the scalp is because for those of us who are on some kind of hair treamtent regimen every day, we need to ensure that our scalp is dry and free from other topical agents in the morning so that we can use our favorite hair treatment such as Rogaine, Crinagen, Xandrox etc etc.

Ingredients: Water, Acrylates Copolymer, Rosemary Extract, Chamomile Extract, Clary (Salvia Sclarea) Extract, Menthol Eucalyptus Globulus Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Dimethicone Copolyol, Sodium Hydroxide, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Ginko Biloba Extract, Retinol, Panthenol, Biotin, Aloe Barbadensis Extract, Jojoba Oil, Seasame Oil, Krameria Triandra Extract, and  Methylparaben.

Celluplex Hair Thickening Shampoo: This shampoo contains the same Celluplex complex as the topical serum mentioned above. In additiona, it also contains a sunscreen. However, I doubt whether the shampoo alone will offer enough protection against the sun. I am always skeptical as to exactly how much protection you can get from something that you are going to rinse off anyway. As a result, you may want to use this shampoo together with the Celluplex serum for better results. By itself, it is a great shampoo that naturally adds body and volume to your hair without any harsh chemicals. As with the Celluplex serum mentioned above, this shampoo contains tons of herbal extracts.

Ingredients: Water, Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Cocamide DEA, Rosemary Extract, Chamomile Extract, Clary Salvia Sclarea Extract, Menthol, Eucalyptus Globulus Extract, Thymus Vulgaris Extract, Glycerin, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Ginkgo Biloba Extract, Retinol, Panthenol, Biotin, aloe Barbadensis Extract, Jojoba Oil, Seasame Oil, Krameria Triandra Extract, and Propylparaben.

Giovanni's Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo: Another shampoo that contains natural suncreen. Again, my skeptisim is that how does one really know that the sunscreen is on when you have to rinse off your hair anyway ? But in any case, this is another product on the market that offers sunscreen for your hair and scalp protection. Besides its selling point as a shampoo that contains sunscreen, the most appealing about this shampoo is that this is probably one of the very very few shampoo in the market that does not contain the harmful ingredient Sodium Laureth Sulfate or SLS. SLS is present in a lot of the household cleaning products. Most household cleaning products contain SLS because of its ability in generating lather and foam. In fact, you can find SLS commonly used to clean garage floors of grease, and used as a degreaser in other prducts. SLS is a very harsh chemical and some have even linked SLS to cancer. As a result, there is a general consensus that it would be best to avoid SLS in the shampoo since SLS can damage the hair follicles. (For detailed discussion about SLS in shampoo, please go to our Discussion Group at http://www.hairsite.com/dissgroup.htm)

Tea Tree is a very well known natural antiseptic. The shampoo is also formulated with Rosemary and Eucalyptus which condition and protect the hair and scalp from oxidizing elements.  The Tea Tree Triple Treat Shampoo is ideal for the followings:
1) As a natural skin antiseptic and moisturizer to alleviate dry flaking scalp associated with scalp irritations. 2) To unclog pores and bring increased circulation to scalp. 3) To clarify hair and scalp of dirt, chlorine, chemicals and build-up from other hair products. 4) As a sunscreen.

Ingredients:  Tea Tree Oil, Peppermint Extract, Eucalyptus Extract, Rosemary Extract, Nettles Extract, Thyme Extract, Birch Leaf Extract, Chamomile Extract, Sage Extract, St. John Wort's Extract, Coltsfoot Extract, Yarrow Extract, Mallow Extract, Balm Mint Extract, Grapefruit Seed Extract, Betaine Sodium Chloride, Citric Acid, Trace Minerals, Panthenol Pro-Vitamin B5.

John Frieda's Thickening Spray With Sunscreen: This product has few ingredients compared to others that are reviewed here. Yet, this is the only product that contains BENZOPHENONE-3, the key medical ingredient for sunscreen. The only drawback for this product is that it contains alcohol. (For a discussion on why alcohol is not recommended, please see article # 61 in our Library.) Also, this product may not be preferred by men since it contains fragrance as well.

Ingredients: Alcohol Denat, Water, PVP, PVP/VA, Copolymer, PEG-75 Lanolin, France (perfume), Benzophenone-3.

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