We see different types if natural hair treatment that are widely used by many people. Out of all these hair treatments, people are making use of rice water to prevent hair problems and to smooth their hairs. However you may agree with me on the fact that any type of treatment or product used on the body may also possibly have some side effects. This is because not all people have similar skin types, hence this rice water treatment may damage their hairs and scalp rather than nourishing them. Today we will discuss about some possible side effects of rice water treatment.
6 Possible Side-Effects of Rice Water Treatment
1. It may lead to Protein Overload
Excessive of anything is harmful for the body and this is a similar example. Proteins are essential nutrients for our body including hairs but if it gets in excessive amount, it can be problematic. If you happen to have low porosity hairs, then the proteins will becomes an extra layer on your scalp rather than getting absorbed in the body.
Rice water is beneficial for them who have high hair porosity, because their hairs absorb all the protein which makes hairs stronger and healthier. Additionally having rice water on your hairs can become uneasy as it becomes hard over time, this means that your hairs may become brittle and cause dryness. Hence using rice water to condition your hairs could cause certain problems.
2. It makes dry scalp worse
As mentioned in the earlier point, it contains lot of proteins that are hard in nature. Hence over time when you use rice water multiple times, it can increase your dryness in scalp. This can even go to an extreme level where you need to get a medical treatment done to cure your scalp. One of the most common mistakes people do while applying rice water in their hairs is that they let it be for a long period sometimes the whole night.
They believe that it is more helpful but actually it could cause more problems. You need to wash your hairs after half an hour if you want to apply rice water for conditioning. Remember that a dry, flaky scalp comes from overproduction of yeast, leaving your hairs for long with rice water can makes things more complicated for you.
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3. Rice water can make your hairs smell
Rice water has many health benefits but it can also turn into something not very usual. Fermented rice water can actually create a lot of smell in your hairs which won’t go easily. So as long as you are willing to sit at homes and avoid people, it looks fine but otherwise it may cause some social challenges for you.
This happens because rice water which becomes fermented has this distinctive pungent smell which increases over time. Additionally your hairs may become more stiff and hard which you usually do not want, especially women. However you can add some essential oils to it to solve this problem for the least.
4. No use if it’s not regular
Rice water as a treatment is only useful and effective when it is applied regularly on your hairs. If there is inconsistency then the nourishment would not be proper and hence result to dryness or stiff hairs. Hence if you are one of the people who are naturally impatient, then rice water treatment is not for you. It takes time for rice water to shoe some positive effects on your hairs.
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5. Effectiveness is Anecdotal
This means that rice water may not be effective on some people. There have been various cases in which people used rice water treatment but it proved to be more damaging than improving their hair quality. Experimenting with rice water on your hairs for such a long time without having some constructive results may lead to an impact on your health and skin as well. You may even indulge in applying wrong amount of rice water just to gain some benefits.
6. Rice water contains Arsenic
One of the major side-effects of rice water is that it contains arsenic. Arsenic is basically a chemical which is sprayed in cotton fields with insecticides to prevent insects from harming the crop. So it is a kind of chemical which can equally damage your hairs than make it stronger and healthier. Most of the side effects of arsenic are visible in the later stages of your life hence this remedy or treatment should be avoided if possible.
It also depends on which type of rice you are using for example brown rice absorbs more arsenic than white rice, hence it could be more problematic. Therefore it is in best interest for you and your hairs that you try some alternative treatment for your hairs than applying rice water.
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