A hair care company is creating a shampoo to help fight the hair loss that is plaguing many young women.
The shampoo, dubbed the “super shampoo”, has a high concentration of zinc to prevent breakage, making it a perfect choice for those with a high level of zinc in their hair.
The new shampoo has already been tested on 100 women, with an average age of 22.
“We’re really proud of this product,” Dr Anupam Sharma, founder of the startup, told the ABC.
“It’s a super shampoo, it has zinc in it, and it’s also free of alcohol and parabens, which are common in commercial hair products.”
Hair loss is a growing problem in Australia, with around 20 per cent of Australian women claiming to suffer from it.
While some of the problems may be caused by a lack of natural nutrients, experts believe it’s more complex.
Dr Sharma said she had been inspired by a number of scientific studies to create the product, which has a zinc content of around 20 to 30 per cent.
“One of the things that we see with this is that zinc is an essential mineral for our body, so when we have too much of it, it can lead to damage to our hair follicles, which is a major issue,” she said.
“When we have excessive zinc in our hair, it also can lead the body to release excess water into the body, which can cause water retention.”
Dr Sharma hopes that the new shampoo will help combat hair loss among young women, and could be used by older women.
She said it was possible to add it to a shampoo or a conditioner for a natural, healthy, natural-sounding shampoo.
“People with darker hair tend to have a higher concentration of the zinc in the scalp, which would also help reduce the breakage that can occur with the super shampoo,” Dr Sharma explained.
“A lot of people in the Asian culture tend to take a zinc supplement in the form of zinc-containing products, but I think this one would be a great supplement for people of colour in Australia.”
‘I’ve been looking at these problems for a long time’ Dr Sharma’s team is currently working with the Australian Cosmetic & Pathology Association to assess the product and get feedback on its efficacy.
“I think we’re really keen to see if it is effective for young women who are struggling with hair loss,” she explained.
A team of researchers are now trying to figure out how the new product works.
“What we’re looking at is what is it doing to the hair follicle in the short term?
Does it work on the hair shaft, does it work to reduce the growth of hair follicular cells?,” Dr Vijay Sharma, a professor of dermatology and cosmetic surgery at the University of Melbourne, told ABC Radio Melbourne.
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If we can find out, it could help us understand why we are losing hair so fast.”