15 HAIR CARE MYTHS

15 HAIR CARE MYTHS
BY: MICHAEL BARROWS
everyone has a favourite myth about hair care -
and we usually never let the truth get in the
WAY OF A GOOD LEGEND! THIS ARTICLE EXAMINES SOME
of the most widely known - and the reality
behind the myths.

1. excessive washing of hair causes hair
loss/dryness
FALSE: FREQUENCY OF WASHING DOESN'T HARM HAIR.
wash it as often as you like, although the
recommendation is three times a week. the right
SHAMPOO FOR YOUR HAIR TYPE AND TEXTURE WILL
actually add moisture, body and beauty to your
hair.

2. more shampoo = cleaner hair
false: don't waste your shampoo! a dollop of
SHAMPOO, ABOUT THE SIZE OF A QUARTER IS USUALLY
enough for long hair. very long hair may take a
little more.

3. conditioner helps repair split ends
false: no conditioner can "repair" damaged hair.
WHAT IT CAN DO IS SMOOTH DOWN THE CUTICLE AND
make hair seem in better condition. a good
conditioner can also prevent damage from
OCCURRING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

4. blow-drying produces hair loss
FALSE: BLOW-DRYING CAN DAMAGE, BURN OR DRY HAIR,
which can cause it to fall, but the hair will
grow back immediately. this is not permanent
HAIR LOSS.

5. sleeping with wet hair causes scalp fungus
FALSE: SCALP OR FUNGAL DISEASES CAN'T BE CAUGHT
from sleeping with wet scalps. scalp infections
require prior involvement with infected sources
SUCH AS HUMANS, TAINTED HAIR CARE TOOLS OR
animals. scalp fungus (tinea capitis) mainly
affects children, whose immune systems make them
MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO SKIN INFECTIONS.

6. to get your hair to grow, brush 100 strokes
EACH DAY
false: brushing that much can damage the hair
cuticle. not recommended! actually, your hair
REACTS BETTER TO A COMB THAN A BRUSH. BRUSHING
it will only lead to split ends and hair
breakage.

7. sharing combs and brushes can spread scalp
diseases
TRUE: LICE AND OTHER PARASITES CAN BE
transported from scalp to scalp through the
sharing of combs, brushes and other hair care
TOOLS.

8. cutting hair makes it grow faster and/or
THICKER
false: this common misconception comes from the
fact that hair is thicker at the base than it is
AT THE TIP, SO SHORTER HAIR APPEARS THICKER AT
first. cutting your hair does not affect its
normal biologically determined growth rate or
OVERALL TEXTURE. THIN, LIMP OR FINE HAIR WILL
not ever grow thicker in response to a haircut.
plump up your hair by using volume enhancing
HAIR CARE PRODUCTS, EXPERIMENTING WITH A HAIR
fattening blunt cut or getting a texturizing
perm or color treatment.

9. color treatment causes hair loss
false: most hair coloring products contain
CHEMICALS THAT CAN DO SERIOUS HARM TO THE HAIR
itself if not properly used, but it wont
instigate hair loss.

10. salon products are identical to drugstore
products
FALSE: ALTHOUGH THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS, SALON
products generally contain higher quality, more
expensive ingredients that are designed to
CONSISTENTLY PROVIDE MORE INTENSIVE CLEANSING,
moisturizing and conditioning results. the
quality ingredients found in salon products are
NOT USUALLY FOUND IN DRUGSTORE BRANDS. IF IN
doubt - read the labels.

11. LONG SUN EXPOSURE FAVORS HAIR LOSS
false: your hair acts as a shield against the
sun. hair loss appears at the follicle level and
SO THE SUN WOULD HAVE TO PENETRATE AT THIS DEPTH
to do any damage.

12. DIET IS RELATED TO HAIR LOSS
true: it's important to eat right in order to be
generally healthy. however, no individual food
HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE BENEFICIAL OR DETRIMENTAL
to hair.

13. STRESS CAUSES HAIR LOSS
true: severe stress (e.g. surgery or a death in
the family), can shut down hair production,
CAUSING TEMPORARY HAIRLOSS (ALOPECIA AREATA).
the scalp usually recuperates, though, and hair
grows back

14. wearing tight braids, ponytails or buns
causes baldness
TRUE: TRACTION ALOPECIA IS A VERY REAL HAIR LOSS
condition that is quite common amongst older
african american women. it results from wearing
TIGHT PONYTAILS, CORNROWS OR BUNS OVER AN
extended period of time. over time, hair
breakage or loss as the result of tight,
STRESSED STYLES, CAN BECOME PERMANENT. AVOID
this potential problem by opting for looser
styles that minimize scalp tension.

15. smoking causes gray hair
true: according to j. g. mosley of the leigh
INFIRMARY IN LANCASHIRE, ENGLAND IN AN ARTICLE
in science news (january 11, 1997) smokers are
four times more likely to have gray hair than
NON-SMOKERS. EVEN WORSE, SMOKING HAS BEEN
conclusively linked to accelerated hair loss.

SUMMARY

heard another myth about hair? do your research
- ASK AN EXPERT! THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE YOUR
grandmother, best friend or local barmaid.
instead, talk to an experienced hairdresser or a
TRICHOLOGIST. ALWAYS GET THE REAL FACTS BEFORE
you act on any hair myths - you owe it to your
hair.

(with thanks to daniel mcullough and karen m.
shelton)

about the author:
MICHAEL BARROWS IS AN INTERNET PUBLISHER
specialising in niche markets. get a free copy
of his ebook "(nearly) everything you should
KNOW ABOUT HAIRSTYLES AND HAIR CARE" FROM HIS
website www.great-hairstyles.com [2]

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