Who doesn't want to flaunt soft and silky beautiful hair? Most of us can go to any extent to protect our hair, right? But, inadvertently we often give in to common hair myths that we’ve been hearing from our peers.
Truth is: some of those hair myths can [1] actually cause harm to your hair. In this article, let’s debunk 10 such hair myths.
Highlights:
- Myth 1: Brush 100 Strokes A Day For Healthy Hair
- Myth 2: Frequent Trims Make Hair Grow Faster
- Myth 3: Frequent Shampooing Can Cause Severe Damage To Your Strands
- Myth 4: Dandruff Signifies A Dry Scalp
- Myth 5: Natural Oils Are Good For Your Hair
- Myth 6: Plucking Grey Hair Can Result In Multiple Grey Strands Sprouting From The Scalp
- Myth 7: It’s Better To Air-Dry Your Hair Than To Blow-Dry It
- Myth 8: Keep On Changing Your Shampoo And Conditioner Every Couple Of Months
- Myth 9: Color Stays Better On Dirty Hair
- Myth 10: Stress Causes Gray Hair
Myth 1: Brush 100 Strokes A Day For Healthy Hair
Truth: Rigorous brushing or combing can cause friction in your hair. If you do that in excess, such as 100 or more strokes, it will damage your hair and make it weak from the roots. However, there are some benefits of brushing gently and briefly with a natural bristle brush. It can stimulate the blood circulation of your scalp and also help to distribute natural oils from the roots to tips.
It is better to avoid synthetic or plastic bristles and old brushes with bent or broken strands. Also, avoid brushing wet hair. Don’t forget to gently detangle the knots before brushing.
Myth 2: Frequent Trims Make Hair Grow Faster
Truth: Trimming your hair ends does not affect your scalp follicles. However, getting your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks can prevent split ends. Regular trimming also stops the split ends from creeping further up the hair.
According to a study by The Trichological Society, hair usually grows between 0.5 and 1.7cm per month, depending on ethnicity. Your genetics, gender, age, and food habits (nutrition) are the key factors influencing your hair growth.
Even seasons can affect your hair growth. In summer, your hair grows faster (due to enhanced blood circulation to the skin and scalp), while in cold weather your body diverts blood flow to internal organs to maintain body temperature. That can slow down hair growth.
Myth 3: Frequent Shampooing Can Cause Severe Damage To Your Strands
Truth:
If you are using harsh, chemical-based shampoos, they can strip off the natural oils of your hair and cause temporary dryness. But this does not have any connection with severe damage or hair loss.
Myth 4: Dandruff Signifies A Dry Scalp
Truth: There is no correlation between dandruff and dry scalp. Dandruff is caused by a fungus, Malassezia, which feeds on the scalp’s sebum. So, an oily environment is the best for the growth of dandruff-causing fungus.
Hence, don’t worry about shampooing frequently (with an anti-dandruff shampoo). It will keep your scalp dry and help you get rid of dandruff.
Myth 5: Natural Oils Are Good For Your Hair
Truth: Any raw food products like honey, curd or oils like coconut oil, avocado oil, etc. can't penetrate your hair shaft deep enough to make any lasting improvement. They are all just good conditioners for your hair strands, but can’t promote hair growth or reduce hair fall.
You might also have heard that applying oil and leaving it overnight is ideal for promoting hair growth. However, that's not true. Even if you apply oil, leave it for 15 – 30 minutes and wash it off later, it gives you a great result.
Besides, natural oils are heavy and hard to wash off the hair. They can make your hair greasy and attract dirt and pollutants that can affect the overall look and health of your hair.
Myth 6: Plucking Grey Hair Can Result In Multiple Grey Strands Sprouting From The Scalp
Truth: The color change of your hair is caused due to the absence of melanin in the hair follicle [2]. As your cells stop melanin production, your hair turns grey or white. So, plucking your grey hair can’t increase the number of grey strands. Additionally, this habit may disturb the neighbor roots, which may result in hair loss or weakening of the other roots.
But, it is good to avoid plucking grey hair as it may lead to thinning or scarring. It can even prevent hair regrowth at that particular spot.
Did You Know?
Grey hair is mostly determined by genetics and aging.
Myth 7: It’s Better To Air-Dry Your Hair Than To Blow-Dry It
Truth: Actually, both air-dry and blow-dry can be harmful. It is not recommended to blow dry your hair as it may cause damage to the hair surface [3]. Similarly, air-drying can cause damage to the strands. Exposure to strong wind or direct sunlight can also harm your hair.
You will also be surprised to know that exposing your hair to water for extended periods can damage your hair more than blow-drying or styling it using heat treatments. Due to water absorption, hair swells up and puts pressure on the proteins that keep your hair intact.
Note :
For minimal damage, use the lowest heat setting on your blow dryer. Hold it at least six inches away from your hair. You also need to move the dryer continuously so that your hair doesn't get concentrated heat on any one spot for too long.
Myth 8: Keep On Changing Your Shampoo And Conditioner Every Couple Of Months
Truth: It is quite difficult to get the right hair care product and if you already have one, don’t bother to change it over and over again. However, your hair needs vary from time to time. For example, if you have done:
- Hair coloring, straightening, curling etc.
- Moved to a different place with a different climate
- Started using new styling or hair care products
Any of these changes can give you the impression that your regular shampoo or conditioner is no longer working. You can change your hair care product as per your environmental and styling requirements.
Myth 9: Color Stays Better On Dirty Hair
Truth: Actually, hair color appears best on clean hair. You must wash your hair thoroughly before coloring and dry it up properly. You can even wash your hair one night before the coloring process and restrict yourself from using any product like gels, serums, etc.
Dirty and oily hair or unwashed hair prevents color from reflecting properly. It is also not long-lasting.
SkinKraft Tip:
Wash your hair 72 hours after hair coloring as the color gets enough time to be fully trapped in the cuticle and be long lasting.
Myth 10: Stress Causes Gray Hair
Truth: No way! It is your cells that stop producing melanin – the color pigments. There is no scientific proof that stress accelerates greying.
According to a recent report on Harvard Health Publishing, there is no sufficient evidence proving the claim that stress can induce grey hair.
Wrapping Up
Beautiful hair is fascinating, but you need to give it a lot of time and effort to maintain its health and luster. You should follow an effective hair care routine, eat a balanced diet, and have adequate water consumption to take care of it. You may hear several hair care tips (or myths) from your family, friends, or other sources, but they might not always be true. Verify them either from reliable sources or consult with a beauty professional or a dermatologist.
1. Hair Loss Myths, Published in 2017 Jul
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28697221/
2. Graying: gerontobiology of the hair follicle pigmentary unit, Published on January 2001,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0531556500002102
3. Prevention of hair surface aging, Published in Mar-Apr 2011,
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