Dimethicone Hair Loss: Is Dimethicone Bad for Hair?

If you’ve been reading the ingredient lists of your hair care products recently, you may be wondering about dimethicone, a common ingredient in shampoos and other cosmetic products.

Dimethicone might have a scary-sounding (or at least hard-to-pronounce) name, but it’s actually a pretty popular cosmetic ingredient. It has benefits for hair health, but as with all things, it’s possible to overdo it — a buildup of dimethicone can be bad news for your hair.

Let’s look at what dimethicone for hair is, what it does, and whether dimethicone hair loss is a thing you need to worry about.

Dimethicone is a silicon-based polymer with many ideal properties for personal care products and other skin-contact uses. It’s actually the second most used polymer in cosmetics after petroleum-based polymers.

This ingredient is considered safe and hypoallergenic (meaning it’s unlikely to cause a skin reaction).

Dimethicone is often found in:

• Creams and lotions

• Facial cleansers

• Shampoos and conditioners

• Hair styling products

• Certain makeup products, like primer

This type of silicone entered the cosmetics market in the 1950s. Since then, it’s shown benefits as a barrier to prevent irritants and allergens from getting to the skin.

There’s one more benefit it brings to the table: Dimethicone is an emollient, which means it protects against water loss.

Petroleum products do it better than silicone-based hair products (several times better, in fact). However, when you combine water-loss prevention with the other skin health benefits of dimethicone, you can see why it might be ideal for skincare products for people with more sensitive skin.

Dimethicone is commonly used in two-in-one shampoos (those that cleanse and condition). It’s also found in conditioners, hair serums, and detangling products.

These types of silicone-based products absorb into the hair cuticle, where the ingredient provides a few benefits to hair:

• Improved shine

• Protection and detangling

• Hydration

• Possible miniaturization prevention

Here’s what to know.

1. Dimethicone Improves Shine

Silicone polymers like dimethicone are known for their light-reflecting properties. When they attach to hair follicles, they can make hair look shinier, more vibrant, and lustrous.

2. Dimethicone Protects and Detangles

The second benefit of dimethicone for hair is protection. Silicones in hair products help reduce friction by coating the hair shaft with a protective barrier against heat styling and environmental damage.

If you imagine the stress placed on your hair follicles when you brush or run your fingers through to detangle your locks, you can quickly understand why reduced friction is so crucial for healthier hair.

3. Dimethicone Delivers Long-Lasting Hydration

As mentioned, dimethicone is an emollient, meaning it protects against water loss. This is one of the many reasons it’s often added to leave-in conditioners and heat-protection sprays.

If you live in a dry climate, often heat-style your hair, or naturally have dry hair, you probably know moisture is essential for hair health. Dimethicone helps lock that moisture into your hair strands. This also helps prevent frizz and breakage.

4. Dimethicone Might Prevent Miniaturization

The final (theoretical) benefit of dimethicone for hair is a little more complicated to explain. It has to do with miniaturization (shrinking hair follicles), aging, and the effects of time on your hair.

When combined with other ingredients, dimethicone might help increase the diameter of hair shafts. This is particularly beneficial to people with shrinking hair diameters due to genetic hair loss (a common trait of androgenic alopecia).

You should know that dimethicone doesn’t reverse or prevent miniaturization, but it might help lessen the effects.

Can dimethicone be bad for your hair?

Dimethicone may sound like a great thing for hair health, and there are certain circumstances where this is absolutely true. But for some folks — especially those with wavy or curly hair — there can be too much of a good thing.

Though the ability to create a protective barrier on a hair follicle sounds good, this physical barrier can also keep important things out, like moisture. In other words, high concentrations of dimethicone can cause moisture loss, leaving your hair to dry out and become brittle over time.

Another issue? Hair with too much silicone buildup can look flat, lifeless, or dull — all the worst-case scenarios from the first 10 seconds of a shampoo commercial.

Plus, dimethicone isn’t a water-soluble silicone, meaning it doesn’t rinse out with water alone. Sulfate-free shampoos also may not work to remove silicone residue.

But dimethicone buildup can be fairly easily reversed. Use a silicone-free shampoo — or, better yet, a clarifying shampoo once a week. Clarifying formulations contain surfactants to strip away product buildup.

It may take a few washes to get the desired results, depending on how much buildup you have.

Is Dimethicone Hair Loss a Thing?

Dimethicone can have its downsides. But it’s very unlikely to cause hair loss. Silicone buildup? Sure — but not increased hair shedding.

Beyond moderating how much dimethicone you expose your hair to, other tools and techniques can help you get the healthy hair of your dreams.

Good Nutrition for Healthy Hair

One of the most straightforward ways to help your hair is to ensure you’re getting the right nutrients.

Sometimes, supplements can fix problems like breakage, dullness, and thinning hair — if you’re deficient in a vitamin or mineral.

A profusion of vitamin-containing shampoos and multivitamins are available to help you get those necessary elements into play. We even make some ourselves — check out our biotin gummy vitamins if you’re looking for options.

But your nutritional choices (that is, the foods you eat) and lifestyle can just as easily promote better hair health. When you take care of your body, good hair will often follow.

Choosing the Right Hair Care Products

Choosing the right hair care products for your hair type, hair texture, and specific needs can make a big difference. For instance, silicones can help detangle curly hair, but you don’t want to overdo it with these ingredients.

Check your current products and learn more about what ingredients are bad for hair.

Medication for Hair Loss

Of course, there are other causes of hair loss. Women can experience female pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia) just like men, in addition to other forms of alopecia.

One of the best hair loss treatments is minoxidil, the generic version of brand-name Rogaine^®.

Topical minoxidil is a vasodilator — it’s thought to support better hair growth by increasing blood flow to hair follicles. Your hair follicles then get better access to the oxygen and nutrients they need for healthy growth.

The point is, there are options. But finding the right one for your needs shouldn’t be a guessing game. That’s why the next stage of your hair care journey should begin with a conversation with a healthcare professional.

Although dimethicone sounds like something out of a sci-fi novel, it’s a pretty common cosmetic ingredient. Here’s what to remember about this form of silicone in hair care products:

• Dimethicone can benefit hair. It’s added to shampoos, conditioners, and detanglers to help hair stay hydrated, shiny, and resilient. 

• But dimethicone buildup can make hair brittle. To avoid this, use silicon-free shampoo from time to time or try a clarifying shampoo once a week. 

• Generally, dimethicone doesn’t cause hair loss. If you’re experiencing hair loss, chances are, something else is to blame.

Whether you’re experiencing gradual or sudden hair loss, it’s a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional ASAP. They’ll help you get to the bottom of your hair loss and explore possible treatment options.

We can help with resources. Our women’s hair health platform has information on the various causes and solutions for hair loss, whether it’s due to an immune reaction or female pattern hair loss.

Our quick online hair loss assessment is a great place to get questions answered and product recommendations if you’re ready to take action.