7 Ridiculous Myths About Washing Your Hair That You Need To Stop Believing
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We all think we know about shampooing our hair since we have been doing it for all of our lives. However, what you may not know is that there is a whole bunch of misinformation that has been doing the rounds for decades now. Plenty of people must have offered you unsolicited advice about how to take care of your locks, but we’re here to tell you that as well meaning as they may be, plenty of the time, they are wrong. Well, we’ve got a list of the seven most ridiculous and common myths about hair growth that you’ve probably heard of:
1. Washing Your Hair Daily Will It Strip Off Its Natural Oils
This is not true at all. Sebum is naturally produced by your sebaceous glands and washing will simply cleanse the build-up of this oil on your hair. Which will make your hair look bright and shiny and not greasy, smelly or limp. Washing your hair with water (not shampoo) will just cleanse your hair temporarily and your sebaceous glands will start to secrete some fresh oil to keep your hair soft and supple.
2. Frequent Hair Washing Will Dry Your Hair
If you are someone who washes their hair daily but is worried about their hair getting too dry, worry not. One of the biggest and most silliest myths out there is about how frequently washing your hair dries it up. The right kind of shampoo for your hair type should draw water in while cleansing it at the same time. If you feel like your hair is dry even after your heat style and wash it, this may be due to the overuse of tongs or your hair dryer.
3. Your Shampoo Will Stop Working After You Use It Daily
Another ridiculous shampooing myth that exists is the idea that your hair gets used to your shampoo and your shampoo stops giving you the results that you want. If you feel like your shampoo has stopped giving the right results, then you will see that the needs of your hair and the condition of it has most likely changed. You may have had your hair relaxed, colored, cut, straightened or had it grown out longer. Even the changing seasons can affect the needs of our hair and may require a switch in shampoo. If you’ve experienced hormone fluctuations recently, this may also alter the appearance of your hair.
4. Frequent Shampooing Makes Your Hair Oilier
This myth is the total opposite of what happens. Your sebaceous glands are attached to each of your hair follicles and they continuously produce oil that can coat your hair. When you shampoo your hair often, oil that is filled with bacteria is washed off your hair. This stops extra oil from building up and collecting dust and dirt.
5. Shampooing Daily Causes Hair Fall
Shampooing does not cause hair fall and shampooing will simply dislodge hair that has already become detached from the follicle’s base and is ready to come out. On the day that you don’t shampoo, many of the strands will sit loosely inside the hair follicle and wait till you wash your hair to come out. This would mean that the more days you spend without washing your hair, the more hairs you will see inside the drain. In fact, daily hair washing encourages the growth of healthy hair and stimulates your scalp which creates an optimal environment for healthy hair growth.
6. Your Hair Is Self Cleaning
Is it really necessary to shampoo your hair or can your hair clean itself? No, the hair is not self-cleaning and while many in the “No poo” movement might have you believing that, your hair needs a good wash every now and then to stay healthy. If you don’t wash your hair often, it will simply be coated in dirt, dust and the oils from the sebaceous glands that are attached to each of the different hair follicles.
7. A Vinegar Rinse Will Make Your Hair Shiny
This age-old remedy doesn’t apply to hair nowadays. Decades before modern shampoo was invented, many would wash their hair with soap. These would then deposit an alkaline film on your hair and dull the hair’s cuticle. An acid rinse, whether from lemon or vinegar, would neutralize the alkaline deposit and add shine. Modern shampoos don’t create an alkaline film and so an acid rinse would be unnecessary.
We hope that our article busted all the common hair washing and shampooing myths you may have heard about. It’s important that you keep your hair clean and shiny above all and you need to understand the importance of washing your hair frequently. Which of these myths about shampoos and hair washing did you think was true? Let us know in the comment section below.
