Spray Perfume on Your Hair

Woman with long hair in a mist of perfume
Image: AI illustration
Q: Is it bad to spray perfume on your hair? I've gotten into the habit of spraying perfume on my hair, but my boyfriend says it's a bad idea. He thinks it wastes expensive perfume and might damage my long hair. Is he right? If it's harmful, would cutting my hair short make a difference? I’ve actually been thinking about getting a pixie cut.
 
A: Your boyfriend is right to be concerned. Spraying regular perfume directly on your hair isn’t the best idea, both for your hair’s health and for making the most of your fragrance.
 
Most perfumes are designed for skin, not hair, and contain a high concentration of alcohol - usually between 70% and 95%. While this helps the scent disperse and last on your skin, alcohol can be harsh on hair. It strips away natural oils that protect and moisturize, leaving hair dry, brittle, and more prone to damage. This is especially risky if your hair is already dry, color-treated, or damaged.
 
Unlike your skin, which constantly renews itself and produces oils, hair is made of dead keratin and doesn’t regenerate. Once hair is damaged, it stays that way until it grows out and is cut. The outer layer of your hair - the cuticle - helps lock in moisture and protect the inner structure, but alcohol and harsh chemicals in perfume can wear it down.
 
From a scent perspective, applying perfume to hair isn’t very effective either. Your skin does a better job holding fragrance because it has natural oils that bind the scent molecules and body heat that helps the fragrance develop over time. Hair doesn’t retain scent as well, and because it’s porous, it can absorb the perfume unevenly and lose the scent quickly. So, in terms of cost and effectiveness, applying perfume to your skin makes much more sense.
 
Using perfume on your hair regularly can lead to several issues:
 
• Dryness and brittleness due to the alcohol
 
• Fading color if your hair is dyed
 
• Increased sensitivity to sunlight (some fragrance ingredients react with UV light)
 
• Scalp irritation
 
• Breakage and split ends over time
 
Woman with a pixie cut in a mist of fragrance
Image: AI illustration
If you love having your hair smell nice, there are much better alternatives. Look for products made specifically for hair, like hair perfumes or mists. These usually have less alcohol and may include conditioning ingredients to keep your hair soft and healthy. Scented hair oils, serums, and leave-in conditioners with fragrance are also great options. They not only smell good but actually nourish your hair.
 
If you're really attached to using your favorite perfume, you can reduce the damage by spraying it into the air and walking through the mist so only a light amount lands on your hair. Another tip is to spray a small amount onto your hairbrush before brushing. You could also apply a protective layer like a light hair oil or leave-in conditioner first. Most importantly, avoid making perfume a daily hair habit, especially if your hair is already fragile or treated.
 
As for the pixie cut: yes, it could help. Short hair is trimmed often, so any damage from perfume won’t stick around for long. Plus, with less hair surface area, more of the perfume ends up on your skin - like your neck or cheeks - where it’s more effective. So if you’re already thinking about a pixie cut, it might be a good idea from a fragrance perspective.
 
©Hairfinder.com
 
See also:
 
Hair and pheromones
 
Hair products and fragrances