What About Other Human Anti-Dandruff Shampoos?
There are lots of human anti-dandruff shampoos on the market. Nizoral, Neutrogena T-Sal and Selsun Blue are a few popular examples. While they have different ingredients to Head and Shoulders, you should still avoid using them on your dog.
As with all human shampoos, these products have been designed for the more acidic skin of humans. They could also contain chemical ingredients that are harmful or irritating for your dog.
What is Head & Shoulders?
As you know, Head and Shoulders is a popular human shampoo for treating dandruff.
The active ingredient is zinc pyrithione. This compound is found in medical skin creams and shampoos, due to its antibacterial and antifungal properties.
It’s the antifungal benefits of zinc pyrithione that make it an effective treatment for seborrheic dermatitis in humans. This is a common scalp condition caused by a yeast fungus, leading to dryness and dandruff. Zinc pyrithione can kill the fungus and improve scalp condition.
While zinc pyrithione is safe for humans, it can cause burning if it gets in the eyes or mouth. The same is true for dogs, so be extra careful around the eyes if you decide to use Head and Shoulders.
Dogs Have a Different Skin pH Balance
Both dogs and humans have a protective skin barrier called the ‘acid mantle.’ The acid mantle stops contaminants, such as bacteria or viruses, from entering the body.
The acid mantle of human skin is naturally more acidic than a dog’s skin. Shampoos designed for humans can disrupt the pH balance of a dog’s skin and compromise the acid mantle. This could leave the dog more vulnerable to infection and potentially cause an increase in dryness or flaking.
Note: This is also one of the reasons why you shouldn’t use baby shampoo on a dog. While baby shampoos tend to be gentler than those formulated for adults, they still aren’t designed for a dog’s skin pH balance.
Dogs havethinner and more sensitive skin than humans. The top layer of human skin, called the epidermis, tends to be around 10-15 cells thick. Dogs, on the other hand, only have 3-5 layers of skin cells in their epidermis.
This makes dogs more susceptible to irritation caused by harsh shampoo ingredients. Side effects of irritation include dryness and itchy skin, so human shampoos could actually make dandruff worse!
can you use head and shoulders on dogs
You want to help keep your dog’s coat glossy and dandruff-free, right? This makes many reach for a bottle of dependable Head And Shoulders when the flakiness starts. Bu, can you use head and shoulders on dogs? Here’s what you should know.
No, you should not use Head And Shoulders shampoo on dogs as a regular choice for their bath. Formulated for humans, it contains chemicals that are not safe for dogs. They can change a dog’s natural skin pH and leave dogs with dry and itchy skin.
Some experts agree that a little bit of it can be helpful from time to time when treating particular conditions, though. It depends on the dog, their health, and how you use it.