How does it work ? (Head & Shoulders Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - Normal - 400ml)

Member Name: Ric!

Product:	Head & Shoulders Anti-Dandruff Shampoo - Normal - 400ml
Date:	02/06/01 (547 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Effective, Safe, Reasonably cheap

Disadvantages: May not always work

Head and Shoulders - probably one of the most famous anti-dandruff shampoos in the UK. Remember the old classic adverts? They all ended with someone discovering a bottle of Head and Shoulders at their friend's place and saying, "Head and Shoulders! But you don't have dandruff!", to which the reply was, "I don't now!". Great tele!

Anyway, what is the magical ingredient that makes it (allegedly) work so well? The answer is Selenium Sulphide.

First let me tell you a little bit about dandruff.....

A person's entire body surface continuously sheds dead skin cells. The skin itself sheds every 24 days. Dandruff is the shedding of dead skin cells from the scalp at an excessive rate.

In a normal scalp, the process of shedding old cells & making their replacements is very orderly. In the dandruff scalp, there is mass disorder and often the cells being shed are not dead before leaving the scalp.

There are many things which can aggravate dandruff. These include:
hormonal imbalance
poor health
excessive perspiration
poor hygiene
allergic hypersensitivity
poor nutrition
heredity pre-disposition
excessive use of hairsprays, gels & dyes
tight fitting hats and scarves.
infrequent shampooing of the hair or inadequate rinsing.
stress, anxiety and tension
yeast infection of the scalp

Okay, so you've got dandruff and you've bought Head & Shoulders, probably by virtue of its reputation. So, what is this Selenium Sulphide that I mentioned earlier? Here's some facts about it before it is put in the shampoo:

Chemical Formula : Se4S4
Colour: red
Appearance: crystalline solid
Melting point: 113°C
Density: 3300 kg m-3

And how does it work?
Selenium Sulphide is a cytostatic agent. This means that it reduces the rate of growth and multiplication of horny cells (top layer of
skin on the scalp). This results in a noticeable decrease in visible dandruff within several weeks. It may also have a direct anti-fungal effect.

So, that's it in a nutshell. Selenium Sulphide in this dilute concentration, applied to the scalp should not have any harmful effects to you. But, it always good to know a bit about the chemicals you are putting on your body, and now you know.

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