A hairstylist has revealed the awful damage that can be done to your locks by using drugstore shampoos that are filled with silicones and parabens.
In a shocking TikTok video, Seattle-based hair colorist Sydney Augusta is seen using a pair of hairdresser’s scissors to scrape off a plastic-like build-up from a strand of her hair.
‘This is what drugstore products can do to your hair!’ she wrote in the caption of the video – which has racked up 8.1 million views – while adding: ‘Say no to silicones and parabens!’
Warning: A hairstylist revealed what silicone- and paraben-filled hair products can do to your locks by scraping off a plastic-like build-up from her own strands
Shocking: Sydney Augusta shared the now-viral video of herself scraping build-up off her hair on TikTok, while urging viewers to avoid products that contain the synthetic substances
Gross: As Sydney, from Seattle, scrapes her scissor blade down a section of her hair, a plastic-like substance is seen building up on it
In the video, which has racked up an incredible 8.1 million views on TikTok, Sydney is seen using one blade from an open pair of scissors to scrape along a thin chunk of her hair.
As she moves the scissors down from the root to the tip, a wax-like substance is seen building up on the blade. At the end of the video, the substance is seen clinging on to the ends of her hair.
This, Sydney explained, is a build-up of synthetic products that occurs when you use hair products that contain the chemical substances.
Silicones are a type of synthetic polymer – a flexible, plastic-like material that can be molded for different uses and applications. In hair products, silicones are used to give locks a smooth, frizz-free look, because they coat the hair and lock in moisture.
Parabens, meanwhile, are a kind of synthetic chemical that are often used as preservatives in all kinds of products, including those in the beauty industry, as well as food and pharmaceuticals.
Although neither silicones or parabens are dangerous to use, their inclusion in hair product formulas has been highly controversial – and Sydney’s video is the latest evidence showing just how damaging they can be to the hair in the long-term.
As demonstrated in the TikTok clip, the synthetic substances build up on the hair over time – particularly the silicone which is designed to coat the hair and give it the appearance of being frizz-free and smooth.
But silicones can weigh down the hair, making it look ‘lifeless and limp’, and they can also prevent the hair from being properly hydrated.
‘Silicone will weigh the hair down, making it limp, lifeless, and, with time, very dull,’ celebrity hairstylist Shai Amiel told Coveteur.
Don’t try this at home: Although she warned viewers not to try the experiment themselves, Sydney did encourage everyone to switch to a more natural haircare routine
Unappealing: At the end of the clip, the waxy build-up is seen clinging on to the ends of Sydney’s hair
Watch out: ‘This is what drugstore products can do to your hair!’ she wrote in the caption, while adding: ‘Say no to silicones and parabens!’
‘It prevents moisture from penetrating the hair shaft and becomes like a magnet for dirt and other ingredients. So in essence, we get a good shine for a couple of days, but over time it will attract more buildup on the hair.
‘With time it will dry the hair out because it won’t allow in the conditioner and it ends up sitting on the surface. Due to lack of moisture, the hair will become very brittle and could lead to frizz and breakage.’
Many experts also warn that silicones only mimic the appearance of healthy, frizz-free hair by coating the locks; they offer no health benefits for hair, but are instead only included in haircare formulas for aesthetic reasons.
‘Consumers are interested in saving on hair products, so in turn many of the big brands are getting the cost down by stripping out expensive ingredients and adding in some less expensive ones,’ hairstylist Paul Windle told DailyMail.com in September 2019.
‘Often silicones are found in hair care to give shine to the hair.’
Sydney’s video sparked a wave of comments from users – with some questioning why she suffers from that kind of unhealthy build-up if she is a licensed professional.
‘I have some professional products that still might have silicones and parabens,’ she explained. ‘I’ve been using a lot of masks since I’ve been lightening it.’
Others suggested that the build-up Sydney was seen scraping from her hair might actually be naturally-formed keratin, however other hairstylists jumped to her defense, insisting that they have seen the same kind of build-up occur on their own clients’ hair after using synthetic products.
‘Another professional here!’ one commenter introduced herself. ‘This is very true. I’ve taken many classes on this and I can always see and feel it in my clients’ hair too.’
Another added: ‘I’m a hairstylist as well. This is build up.’