Silicone: The Harm It Can Do To Your Hair And Body!

For years hairdressers have been trying to warn everyone about the harm Silicone can do to your hair and body and have been advising their clientele to switch over to a non toxic product that doesn’t contain silicone, parabens, sulfates or other harsh chemicals.

According to Skin And Hair Academy
Silicones are polymers synthesised from natural silicones combines with other chemicals.
Silicones are used to render a shine to any product and form a coat that cannot be penetrated by water.

Advantages:

• Silicones condition dry and damaged hair
• They can make frizzy hair with split ends look healthy
• Silicones protect hair from dehydrating factors like sun exposure, wind etc. by water proofing individual strands of hair

Disadvantages:

• Silicones only have superficial effects on hair and temporarily make hair appear healthy and shiny
• They cause build up in the hair & scalp and weigh the hair down
• Their sealant properties prevent air, nutrition and water from interacting with hair causing damage and moisture impairment
• Causes silicone dependency, prevents people from switching products
• Causes hyper allergies and sensitivities as products are not natural and made from harsh chemicals
• Reduced product absorption causes the absorption of hair care products including colour treatments and hair dues, this can lead to uneven colour results and reduce longevity of hair colour.

What Is Silicone Build Up?

Silicone causes harmful effects of product build up in skin and hair.

Silicone in shampoos and conditioners are components that we are frequently warned about.

When a silicone based product is used it forms a synthetic coating around each strand of hair and skin.

This coating repels water and and air which is a result of a plastic like encasement because of its hydrophobic nature.

The build-up causes extra damage to the hair in the long term.

Products with silicone may temporarily provide some benefits but they will eventually cause harm in the long-term.

You can identify silicones in your hair products by looking for chemical names that end with a ‘cone’.

There is no harm in researching a little before proceeding to buy hair products or other products containing silicone

Different Types of Silicone?

To help you understand the different types of silicone that exists, there are 3 types; Water soluble, Non Soluble and Evaporating.

The difference between each type is;

Water Soluble Silicones:

Known as soluble silicones, they are easily rinsed and have been modified to be readily removed from the hair with water and mild shampoos.

Non Soluble Silicones:

The most traditional type of silicones, it doesn’t dissolve or gets easily rinsed out with water.
This type creates a water & air resistant coating which comes with a risk of buildup that can accumulate over time.
The silicone build up weighs down the hair and causes long term harm.

Evaporating Silicones are also known as volatile silicones, designed to have low molecular weights and will evaporate more quickly (between 10 minutes to a few hours depending on the product and the manufacturer.

The Harm Silicone Can Do To Your Body:

According to the published case study Silicon, Silicates and Silicosis Ohio Keating Mine By Author: Austin Smilovic (the case study is part of a collection of pages developed by students in the 2012 introductory-level Geology and Human Health course in the Department of Earth Sciences, Montana State University)

When silicon is in the form of crystalline silica and comes in contact with human lung tissue it is completely toxic.

The silicates embed themselves into the lining of the upper lobes in the lungs and create what is recognized as nodular lesions.

They are 3 different levels to categorize the intensity of the growth of silicosis.

The least corrosive is what is described as simple or ordinary silicosis, which means there was generally a low amount of free silica exposure for a period of around 20 years or more, which then at that point symptoms become more observable.

Next is what is called accelerated silicosis, which means there was generally a higher amount of concentrated dust that was breathable, and the effects usually surface in a shorter period of time, such as 4 to 8 years.

Lastly the most intense of all silicosis diagnoses is what is described as acute silicosis, which means this patient would have the highest amount of exposure.

Unfortunately there is not much that can be done to reverse the negative side effects of what damage has been done, the only possibility is to lessen the effects from becoming worse.

You always need to do your research when it comes to buying a product that can have major negative effects on your health!

There has been a recent trend with a lot of businesses and manufactures creating products that use a silicone grip to prevent slippage.

Unfortunately many are not educated by the harm Silicone products can cause and purchase these products.

This blog post is not aimed at everyone because there are some businesses out there who care about your health and use medical grade silicone products or use safer alternatives.

Iliyah Modest Boutique has done extensive health research into silicone and would NEVER use a silicone grip on any of their products.

Iliyah Modest Boutique has a collection of Non Slip Cotton Hijab Caps that has no grip, they are made from 95% cotton 5% spandex material mix and do not slip because of this no grip is needed!

All the products are made from quality material and follow best practices to ensure your health and safety.

Ask yourself this question, are you willing to put your health at risk with something that can cause permanent damage in order to solve a temporary issue?

Shop the Non Slip Cotton Hijab Caps and put your health first!