10 Hair Myths We Grew Up Believing
indrani karmakarBA Hons Experience: 2.5 yearsIndrani is a writer and artist who likes to add a dash of humor to everything she does. She has two years of experience in writing articles across beauty, health, and lifestyle genres. After graduatin... more
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Let us sit down for a while and read these facts one by one. One, pulling out a gray hair won’t grow two grays in the same spot. Two, shaving your hair won’t make your hair grow any thicker. And three, you don’t have to brush your hair a hundred times a day to make it appear tangle-free. Hair myths have been spun and circulated through generations. But now, thanks to science-backed information, debunking these myths is more accessible than before. Go through these age-old myths and see for yourself why you need to stop believing in these myths to keep your hair growth healthy the right way.
Myth 1: Trimming Makes The Hair Grow Faster
Hair grows from the roots and has significantly less to do with how often you cut your hair. When you trim your hair regularly, it makes your hair look fuller and healthier by eliminating the split ends. Your hair growth may be slow if your hair does not get enough proteins and nutrients to nourish your hair; but if you don’t eat healthily and trim your hair, it won’t improve your hair health in any way.
Myth 2: Grays Are Caused By Stress
Stress does cause a lot of health problems, and some are visible, like weight loss and loss of appetite. But there is no scientific backing to prove that graying hair results from stress. The natural color of your hair is determined by melanin, and when the melanin production stops, the hair color fades to gray. So stress is probably not why your hair is losing its color.
Myth 3: Stress Can Cause Hair Loss
Scientists believe that even if you face a traumatic phase, your body gives you a resting phase of about 3 months to cope with the problem. This is when the hair growth stops, and the already damaged hair falls out. If the reason for stress resolves that you will have your hair growth stabilized again.
Myth 4: Scalp Massage Stimulates Hair Growth
We agree very few things on earth are as soothing as a scalp massage, but it does not mean that it will help your hair grow. It does stimulate dormant hair follicles and improve blood circulation, but it cannot guarantee hair growth for anyone who has already lost hair. Also, there is a good chance that you can pull out more hair in massaging rather than helping it grow.
Myth 5: Switching Hair Care Brands Can Cause Hair Loss
You might be very loyal to a particular brand and use the shampoo throughout your life, but that does not mean your skin and hair will have difficulty coping with a different brand. As long as the ingredients are good and suit you, you don’t have to worry about anything.
Myth 6: Young Women Don’t Have Hair Problems
Hair problems do not just trigger you at old age alone, and most problems are not gender-specific. It can be altered by genetics, medical procedures, hormones, and extreme stress. Sometimes girls as young as 12 can be dealing with severe hair fall problems.
Myth 7: Gray Hair Doubles When Plucked
Your hair does not gray overnight; it starts with one and grows like a colony. The common myth is that you pluck one out, two grow in its place. This is not true and is not backed by any scientific facts. The only possible thing is that people start noticing the greys one after another and feel they result from you plucking one out.
Myth 8: You Cannot Dye Your Hair When You Are Pregnant
Pregnancy is the phase in your life when you are doubly cautious about everything you do and use. As hair dye contains large amounts of ammonia, the risk may be inhaling large quantities of ammonia. You can research ammonia-free hair dyes, demi-permanent hair dyes, and even go for natural hair coloring methods to get a gorgeous color without indulging in harmful chemicals.
Myth 9: Conditioner Can Make Your Hair Oily
When you condition your hair after shampooing, it might make your hair sleek and soft, but it’s doubtful that conditioner will get your hair oily. The sebum production makes your hair feel oily and heavy and must be washed with a mild shampoo.
Myth 10: Washing Your Hair With Beer Makes It Softer
There is a common belief that the yeast and malt present in beer react with proteins and make your hair shiny and strong. However, alcohol dries your hair more than repairing it and makes it look frayed and unhealthy in a day or two.
So now that you know all the myths that have been spun around hair care routines, you will surely be able to take care of them and go for a more scientific way to treat your hair. Make sure you go for natural ways to deal with hair care before opting for chemicals.
So, is there any hair myth you believed in as a child? Let us know in the comments below!
