With hundreds of different hair tips, tricks and techniques – have you ever wondered how many of them are actually just myths? You’ve probably heard them all – from how often trimming can make your hair grow faster to avoiding hot showers that can cause baldness – while some may seem logical and have a scientific-sounding backup, some of these myths can actually lead to serious hair damage.
“Some hair myths have actually been around for so long that we have started to accept it as facts.” says Maggie Semaan, International Celebrity Hair Artist. “It is always better to consult an expert when it comes to determining how you should care for your hair – especially with a lot of common hair misconceptions out there.” she added.
To help set the record straight, Maggie debunks 8 hair myths – are they true or false? Here’s the hair care truth:
1. Stress causes gray hair
False – until a new study by researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons has provided the first quantitative evidence that this is in fact the case. Our hair color is determined by pigment-producing cells called melanocytes and researchers found that the body’s fight-or-flight response plays a key role in turning hair gray. A word of advice – stop stressing.
2. Hot showers can cause baldness
Hot showers won’t directly cause hair loss that can lead to baldness -but scalding hot water can affect the health of your scalp therefore affect the health of your hair.
3. Trimming can make your hair grow faster
Not quite – hair growth stems from the follicles on our scalps, not the ends of our hair. However, trimming can actually promote healthy hair growth by removing split ends before they break and and shorten your hair. A haircut every 3 months on average is the ideal to maintain healthy hair growth.
4. Sleeping with your hair wet can affect eyesight
There’s 0 chances of you losing your eyesight from sleeping with your hair wet – so don’t lose sleep over that. Other than it’s an old folklore, there’s really nothing to connect to it. Sorry moms.
5. Daily conditioning can lead to hair loss
No research suggests that conditioning causes hair loss nor does washing your hair daily. While it is scary to see your hair thinning, it’s not because of your conditioner. If you’re unsure of what causes it, it is better to always consult an expert.
Washing hair daily may not be the cause of hair loss but it can definitely be the cause for dry hair as you are constantly washing off your natural oils.
6. Plucking gray hair can cause gray-hair contagion
While gray hair is completely natural, our first instinct is to immediately pluck it. One of the most common myths is that if you pluck a single strand, it will spread like contagion. That is completely false – your surrounding hairs will not turn gray until their own follicles’ pigment cells die.
7. Brushing hair while wet can cause damage
Not exactly – brushing your hair wet can put more tension on strands because when the hair is wet it is more porous therefore more elastic and fragile. Of course the more damaged the hair is, the more elastic and vulnerable it gets.
The best time to brush your hair wet is when you apply a hair mask or conditioner before brushing so it can glide into the hair and avoid tension.
8. Hair growth slows at a certain age
True. As we age, our body experiences many changes and our hair is not an exception. Age plays a role in hair growth/loss for both sexes. In women, menopause is a big player as a result of changing hormone levels. But don’t worry, it’s all part of the process.