Exclusive:
The stunning ‘glitter hair hack’ has racked up thousands of comments on social media. And while it may sound tempting, a dermatologist claims it’s best to avoid
A dermatologist has warned that a popular DIY trick will only leave your hair in tatters – even if it looks nice at first.
From ‘hair-dusting’ tutorials, to snail-based facials – social media is home to countless health and beauty secrets. But glamour buffs are now urged to steer clear of a damaging ‘glitter hair hack’ that isn’t quite what it seems.
On the face of it, it glitter hair sounds quite harmless – with users adding craft glitter and sometimes glue to clear shampoo. After washing this out, many are then taking snaps of their remarkably sparkly hair – which looks especially stunning on camera.
This includes influencer Amara Chehade who took to TikTok (@amarachehade) to share her experience of experimenting with it. “Love this!”, she captioned the video which shows her pouring a jar of gold glitter into a bottle of Pantene and shaking it up.
She then applied this at the roots of her hair, before rubbing it through for a the famous shimmering effect. The video has since garnered a staggering 459k likes and thousands of comments, with many users eager to know more about the process.
One person wrote: “I’m just wondering how it doesn’t itch your scalp and how long it’s gonna take to come out,” while others added: “Would this not damage your scalp???” and: “But why?”
Amid this, Dr Hamdan Abdullah Hamed, a UAE-based dermatologist and co-founder of PowerYourCurls, claimed that while it may be tempting, the glitter hair hack is sadly worth avoiding. He told The Mirror: “Glitter can be stunning to look at but leaving it on in your hair can be harmful for the health of your hair.
“Once it stays on your hair, the glitter, which is made of plastic, will melt and will leave your hair smelling like plastic and will be fried. It will even worsen when you use heat styling tools because your hair will get dry, brittle, and may weaken over time.”
According to Dr Hamed, much of the glitter found in craft sets is actually made of toxic plastic. This may work to clog the hair follicles which not only triggers scalp irritation and dandruff, but may limit healthy hair growth.
“This is also the reason why you should avoid plastic ingredients or artificial ingredients such as parabens in your hair products,” he added. “They are toxic and can lead to issues in our bodies. Plastics are also common in hairsprays and when you breathe in the particles, it can cause cardiovascular issues and lung disease.”
If you’re saddened by this – fear not. There are plenty of other ways to give your hair a sparkle, including hair gloss and colour sprays which are generally safer to use when store-bought. Dr Hamed advises that glittery clips and headbands can be used too, to completely rule out any chance of damage.
He added: “Glitter should not be placed in cosmetics. They may be fun to look at but they are non-biodegradable materials that can’t be recycled. They are also bad for the body and even for the environment.”
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