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Hair serums are famous hair products that are applied to your hair as a protective coat. They are available in different types depending on your hair needs and the benefits you want.

Hair serums can be used to smoothen out your hair in if they become frizzy and dry. They also add shine and gloss to your strands, making them appear healthy.
Moreover, hair serums are available as a protectant, which protects your hair from damage caused by heat styling or exposure to chemicals. (1)
What Are Hair Serums?
A serum is a highly concentrated formulation and contains active ingredients required to address hair issues. These active constituents are usually small molecules that are crucial for solving a particular hair care problem.
Serums can also be defined as topical agents that have a thin consistency and contain high amounts of active constituents. (2)
What Do Hair Serums Do for Your Hair?
Serums can perform a variety of different functions beneficial for your hair and scalp health. For instance, they hydrate the scalp, making them helpful for those who suffer from a dry scalp.
Hair serums are normally formulated as leave-in products, which means they do not need to be rinsed after application. They are developed to quickly tame, hydrate, and nourish your hair.
There are also medicated serums that contain active ingredients meant specifically to fight and treat medical disorders such as seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff, and alopecia. (2)
Hair serums can be very good for your hair because of their various applications, which include: (2)
- Moisturization of the hair and scalp
- Making the hair strong and lustrous
- Adding a shine to the hair
- Neutralization of free radicals in the hair to prevent oxidative damage
- Prevention and management of split ends, dandruff, and scalp infections (medicated serums)
- Promotion of hair growth and prevention of hair loss
What Are the Benefits of Using Hair Serums?
Hair serums are good for your hair as they offer a lot of benefits, which depend on the active ingredients in their formulation. These benefits include the following.
1. Prevents hair loss
Androgenetic alopecia is a well-known type of hair loss that can affect both men and women. Almost 80% of men and 50% of women suffer from alopecia once in their lifetime. The available therapies approved for this hair condition are finite, not as effective, and may be linked with some adverse events.
A study demonstrated that a topical serum was useful in reducing hair loss and promoting hair regrowth in those who suffer from androgenetic alopecia. The serum also made the hair stronger and reduced hair thinning with regular use. (3)
2. Reduces frizz
When hair becomes very dry and prone to damage, it tends to be frizzy, making you look unkept and not very pleasing. Frizzy hair is hard to manage as the hair flies sideways and isn’t smoothened at all.
Hair serums have silicone as one of their main ingredients, which comes in handy to control frizzy hair. If your hair is thin and weak, serums can add a little weight to it, making it look healthy and voluminous.
Silicone also forms a covering over your hair strands, which adds weight to weak strands, giving them more substance. Silicon’s ability to coat your hair also helps lock in the nourishment required by the hair to stay stylized. (4)
3. Smoothens hair
Hair serums add shine to hair by smoothing it out due to their ability to control frizz. Also, the coat formed by silicone around your hair strands makes them look very sleek and more manageable, giving it a polished look. (1)
4. Detangles the strands
Since serums are very good at smoothing your hair, they make it very sleek, which is why the hair is less prone to tangles and knots.
Detangling the hair is extremely important because it makes it easier for you to manage and comb it without causing breakage. (1)
5. Adds shine to hair and make it manageable
Smooth hair always looks a lot more well-kept and glossier compared to dry or frizzy hair. Hair care experts explain that applying a hair serum is a very good way of making sure that your hair appears shiny and overall healthy.
Just a little bit of serum running through your strands will make a big difference when it comes to adding shine to them.
Moreover, experts advise the use of serums as they are excellent in making the hair manageable and easy to work with when styling.
6. Defines curls
The best part of using a hair serum is that it can be used by anyone. Serums are available for every kind of hair, be it coiled and curly hair, straight hair, and even slightly wavy hair.
The type of serum you use should depend on your scalp type and hair type. For curly hair, serums are important because they maintain the curls and make them more defined instead of creating a frizzy texture. (4)
What Is the Right Way to Use Hair Serums?
It’s important to apply serums properly to get the best results. Here’s how to do it:
- Take 1–2 drops of hair serum on your palm. Rub the serum between your palms for about 5 seconds to warm it.
- Evenly distribute the serum onto the midsection and ends of hair. Serums must be applied to clean, freshly washed damp hair to get the most out of it.
- Style your hair as you usually would.
- You can use a serum throughout the day to touch up your hair.
Do Hair Serums Have Side Effects?
Dermatologists share that since serums have very high concentrations of an active ingredient, there may be some minor side effects that you may face after their application.
On initial application, hair serum usage may cause mild itching, irritation, or inflammation. These signs eventually get better as your skin adjusts to the serum applied. These adverse effects are only mild and local and do not worsen but become less frequent with time and use.
Can Serums Harm My Hair Health?
Serums are generally used in styling hair to create a particular hairstyle or look. They are helpful in smoothing the hair.
Serums are preparations that are silicone based. Silicones have been used in hair care developments because of their conditioning and moisturizing properties. Nowadays, there is a huge variety of silicone materials that are available in an array of shampoos, conditioners, and fixative products for hair.
Dermatologists and hair care experts say that if you use silicone-based products for a short period, they can work nicely for dry hair as they create a layer around your strands and keeps your hair hydrated.
However, with excessive use of such products, the silicone-made protective layer starts to block nourishing ingredients from penetrating into the hair follicle. So, after some time, silicone can build up on your hair, resulting in a dry and dull appearance.
Also, silicone-based hair care products such as serums cause hair to become sticky and may have poor applicability.
Professionals sum it up as silicones being useful for dry, curly, and frizzy hair because of the smoothness and shine they add. However, people with thin and low-porosity hair should avoid them as they can make the hair greasy. (4)
Additional Tips to Remember When Using Hair Serums
Experts share some additional tips when using hair serums:
- Make sure you spread the product evenly throughout your hair using your hands.
- Avoid applying the serum to your hair roots.
- It is better not to use too much product, as this can make your hair look greasy.
- Be gentle when applying the serum. Do not pull on your hair, as it can cause damage.
- Once you’ve finished applying the serum, use a wide-tooth comb to gently distribute the serum equally from the top of your hair down to the ends.
Most-Asked Questions About Hair Serums
How do serums work for curly hair problems?
If applied to curly hair, serums will define the curls and make them look a lot more well-kept. Choose a hair serum that is lightweight, because a heavy hair serum can weigh down the curls and make them look worn out.
You should also make sure that you choose an incredibly hydrating serum that is good at moisturizing hair roots. This is important because it will make your curls remain bouncy throughout the day. (3)
Moreover, serums help prevent frizziness of curly hair that arises due to the humidity in the air. Thus, the right serum can protect your curls from humidity and other environmental stresses.
Is it okay to use a hair serum every day?
Yes, you can use a little bit of serum on your strands every day if your hair is very hard to manage.
How much serum should I put on my hair?
When it comes to highly concentrated hair care products such as serums, a little goes a long way. Do not apply too much hair serum it can make your hair greasy.
Final Word
Hair serums are very rapidly becoming hair care and styling essentials. They protect and add shine to your hair and improve your curls.
When choosing a hair serum, keep your hair type and hair problems in mind. Moreover, use only a small amount of serum to avoid weighing down your hair.
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