A heated topic around Marriotts Ridge is the use of shampoo. Some use it, and some don’t. From the greasy and barely washed hair to the dry and overly rinsed, one can find everything at Marriotts Ridge. In addition to shampoo, some use extra products to get their texture just right, such as sea salt spray or bacon grease.
Across the school, students use shampoo at different rates, ranging from once a week to three times a day. But what is the correct answer, and is it dangerous to use shampoo too much or too little? It turns out shampoo itself isn’t what’s dangerous, it’s some of the ingredients inside.
“I don’t trust the chemicals, which is why I don’t use shampoo,” senior Casey Sullins shared. “Water does the trick just fine.”
However, not using shampoo can have detrimental effects on the hair. These may include decreased hair growth, dandruff and an itchy scalp. On top of all this, no shampoo can lead to the buildup of oils and grime in the hair, giving some unhygienic people a greasy appearance and stinky odor.
On the other hand, some students use shampoo more than once a day, which comes with its side effects including fading in the color of your hair, removing too much of the hair’s natural oils and the hair becoming dry.
“I sometimes shampoo two to three times a day,” junior Lucas Chavez added. “I feel it keeps my hair curly and fresh.”
Though students may think that when it comes to shampoo it is more the merrier; this is untrue. Students must find a middle ground for how often they use shampoo and ensure they have a routine that works for them.
Not only does the amount of shampoo matter, so does the timing. For example, students should try to use shampoo after physical exercise to wash the sweat from their hair. Unfortunately, not all students are aware of this.
“I only shower when it’s convenient for me,” said senior Boston, ‘Hog Daddy’, Brown. “I prefer to let the sweat dry out in my hair. While some find the scent repulsive, I see it as the smell of success reminding me of my daily grind.”
Some products can give students the perfect texture such as sea salt spray. By using this, students get added volume and can even remove some of the bad toxins on their heads. This is an instant solution to style your hair just like those pretty TikTok boys.
“I don’t know what I’d do without my precious sea salt spray,” sophomore Mason Machiran said. “Ever since I saw my favorite TikTok icon Josh Richards use it, my hair has never been fluffier.”
On the contrary, some students aren’t looking for their hair to be dry and fluffy, but are instead after a slicked-back look. This is where another product comes in handy, bacon grease.
“I’ve got a lot of hair, so if I used sea salt spray the fluff factor would be out of control,” Brown said. “My hair is like a wild beast, and pig grease is the perfect thing to tame it, slicking it back and giving it a shiny, sleek look.”
Around the school, students with different hair types and styles have their routines keeping their hair fresh and alive. Whether that be using shampoo, products or nothing at all, there will never be an answer to what is best. Instead, students can learn from one another’s routines, trying new products and finding what works best.