Can you grow hair or restore hair color just by shampooing?

A lot of shampoo brands claim that their products contain active ingredients that can be absorbed by hair follicles when people wash their hair, thus facilitating hair growth or the restoration of hair color. It sounds appealing, but are those shampoos really as magical and effective as the brands claim? Actually, 90% of dermatologists said that shampoos claiming to contain active ingredients have not been clinically proven to aid hair growth or hair color restoration.

If you think about it, it doesn't make sense that shampoo ingredients can penetrate deep into the hair follicles in a matter of minutes while you're washing your hair. From the perspective of cell biology, if we want to revitalize aging follicles so that they go back to their growth stage (anagen) through the use of topical products, then we need a nutrient solution with a high enough concentration to supply the follicles with nutrients to condition them. Therefore, adding ingredients claimed to be effective for hair growth or hair color restoration—such as those sourced from plants (e.g. caffeine), Chinese herbs (e.g. tuber fleeceflower), or vitamins (e.g. zinc)—into shampoo do provide any actual benefits. Consumers are advised to use hair care products with ingredients that are truly effective for hair growth or hair color restoration.

The main function of shampoo is to remove the dirt on the scalp. A good shampoo gives your scalp an appropriate cleanse, but not too much, so that the scalp's sebum secretion achieves a natural balance, giving your hair a healthy environment to grow and reducing abnormal hair loss. Once you use the right shampoo, the hair that you washed out will slowly grow back. On the other hand, many people with abnormal hair loss may have lost their hair because they didn't use the right shampoo. So we suggest you carefully choose a shampoo that's from a good brand and has a simple formula. Doing a good job cleansing the scalp, no frequent dyeing and perming, plus maintaining a healthy routine and a balanced diet are fundamental to helping your scalp and hair stay healthy.