TikTok’s latest trend involves applying The Ordinary’s glycolic acid on your hair rather than face – and the results are impressive

TikTok is forever giving birth to must-try trends – whether it be skincare, recipes, fitness, or fashion tips, we are spoilt for choice.

Over on the hair health side of things, a surprising new hack has been going viral, which involves your bottle of The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. Yes, we are aware the product is designed for your skin – but recently, users have been applying this product on their tresses for less dandruff and fewer breakages.

So, what exactly does the application process involve and how does the product help your hair? Firstly it’s important to understand that glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid (or AHA) that chemically exfoliates the skin by breaking down skin cells to give way to the smoother, newer ones underneath.

It works so well on hair because of its small molecule sizes that allow it to lift excess sebum and product buildup, leaving you with a clean, fresh scalp.

TikTok users have been taking to the social media app to show how exactly they use the product, with one user @phithegoldenskin, real name An Nguyen, showing her progress after applying the solution to her hair for a month.

“I have been using glycolic acid on my hair for a month. This is what happened,” she tells her followers as she drenches the product on her long locks and scalp.

“Glycolic acid molecules are very small, so they can penetrate the hair. It is also a fantastic exfoliant, so I have been using it on my scalp and hair, and my scalp is less flaky, and my hair seems to be stronger and shinier.”

The results indeed spoke for themselves as she showed off her lusciously shiny locks at the end of the video, with her huge smile and thumbs up to the camera confirming she was happy at the end of her four-week experimentation.

As well as An, plenty of others have been loving using The Ordinary’s Glycolic solution to enhance the quality of their locks, most noticeably eliminating pesky dandruff.

“Literally used glycolic yesterday and no dandruff,” TikTok user @calistatee claims, while in another clip, @annaytime gushes of her “refreshed and revived” scalp following the treatment.

While experts confirm that the product does, in fact, work brilliantly on your hair and health, they warn you to use it with caution and in moderation.

Dr Usman Qureshi, aesthetic doctor and founder of Luxe Skin by Dr Q, told Refinery29 recently: “I would advise using glycolic acid as a quick, rinse-off treatment. Glycolic acid is very powerful, and you should be using it maximum once a week to get effective results without irritating the scalp.” 

Noted!