Hair Myths What’s True And What’s Not

SoZo HAIR Salon Tips

If you pluck a gray hair, will two really grow back in its place? Do you really have to brush your hair a hundred times for it to be healthy and Shiny? These, along with many other hair myths have gone unanswered for years. Well, I finally decided it was time to put the truths behind these myths to rest! So, please indulge yourself in the following article as we uncover the true or false nature behind some of our most common hair tall tales.

1. You should always towel dry your hair.

Experts say DON’T. The vigorous nature with which we towel dry our tresses is very rough on our fragile, damp hair and can actually promote breakage. Instead, try gently squeezing your hair with your towel to remove excess moisture. This will accomplish the same thing, and do a lot less damage to your locks.

2. Darker hair is stronger than Blonde hair.

Not true. While natural Blonde hair does tend to be finer in nature, dark hair can be extremely fine and fragile as well. The color of your hair does not affect its texture, (fine, medium or course) its density, (strands per square inch) or its type (curly, wavy or straight) These are all factors determined by genetics. So a person with jet black, curly hair can still have very fine fragile strands, just as a blonde with straight hair can have very course strands.

3. Worry/ Stress cause Gray hair.

Not usually! Just as in the previous myth, graying is usually genetic and is not affected much by your level of stress. THOUGH…extreme stress over a long period of time can play in (check most presidents who go into office without gray). Free radicals in our bodies can affect melanin (pigment) production and stress can contribute to free radicals.

4. Your hair grows faster in the summer.

Yes, it’s true! In the colder winter months, our bodies focus our blood flow more toward our vital organs and trying to keep our core temperature elevated, as we are not as active. In the summertime, we are far more active, and the weather is warmer, so our circulation is elevated, and our bodies do not feel the need to work as hard to keep our core temperature elevated. This bump in blood flow causes more stimulation in our scalp, causing our hair to grow faster.

5. Your eyebrow color should always match your hair color.

While it can, and probably will if you don’t color treat your hair, it certainly does not have to. In fact, it is currently very trendy to wear your eyebrows darker than your hair color.

6. Wearing a hat causes baldness.

Myth, hats cut off circulation to the scalp, causing hair loss. Truth? Baldness is most often based on genetics. It can be triggered by stress and high levels of testosterone, but wearing your favorite hat won’t usually do anything other than give you hat hair. There are other reasons hair can “thin” so if you are concerned about hair loss, ask your stylist about using a medicated shampoo like Nioxin, which helps stimulate the scalp and create an environment that promotes hair regrowth.

7. Men inherit baldness from their mother.

Many have attributed the X chromosome given from mom to be behind male pattern baldness for years, however, recent studies show that it is actually a combination of chromosomes from both parents that attribute to baldness.

8. You should shampoo your hair every other day.

Nevermind the rules on this one. Instead, pay attention to the look and feel of your hair. If your hair is oily at the root, use dry shampoo or wash it, if not skip shampooing until it looks greasy. People with dry hair can benefit from waiting until there is an oily build up as this is what signals that your hair needs to be shampooed.

9. Treatment/Styling oils are bad if your hair is naturally greasy or oily.

This rule applies only if you apply your oils directly to your scalp Some treatment oils have the ability to actually penetrate into the hair’s cuticle and make hair healthier. Try to focus application on the mid-shaft and ends of the hair where it is hardest for the natural oils from the scalp to reach the hair, and it will be driest.

10. Trimming hair regularly makes it grow faster.

Unfortunately, this too is false. Re-Growth happens at the scalp. So if you are trying to get your hair to grow, massage your scalp regularly. This increases blood flow and stimulates the scalp promoting hair growth. Why does your stylist recommend a trim every 6-8 weeks if trimming does not make your hair grow faster? Getting rid of split ends and damaged hair makes the hair look fuller and healthier along with preventing splitting from traveling up the hair strand which causes breakage. Breakage makes it seem like the hair isn’t getting any longer.

11. Air drying your hair is better than blow drying your hair.

Yes, hot air on the hair can be harmful, especially if it is an everyday thing, but sometimes we are in a hurry, and 15 minutes with the blow dryer has to happen. If you don’t prefer to air dry your hair, or don’t have time, try using a cooler setting on your dryer. This will take a few minutes longer, but it will also decrease the amount of damage done if you choose to blow dry regularly

12. Switching shampoo is good for your hair.

Switching shampoo is fine, especially if you are after something specific like more volume or moisture. Research suggests that using the same shampoo every time you shampoo is not any better or worse for your hair and that it will continue to work just as well whether or not you choose to alternate it with another product.

13. Using the proper products will make your hair thicker.

While using good quality professional products is excellent for your hair and can aid in the feel and appearance of the hair, external factors do not have much effect on the “naked” natural hair we were given. New technology has found ways to address thinning hair that does help issues like clogged pores, lazy hair follicles etc. but what affects hair most? Believe it or not, your diet does. Just like every part of our body, our hair needs nutrients to grow and be healthy. So the better you are about making healthy eating habits, the fuller and healthier your hair will be.

14. Shampooing makes you shed hair.

While I think we are all privy to losing some hair in the shower, your hair is going to shed regardless. The average loss is 100 hairs a day. Try only shampooing your hair when it actually needs it, but also remember that too much oil buildup on the scalp can cause clogged pores, stunting hair growth.

15. Color-treated hair is unhealthy.

Obviously, bleaching your hair is the worst possible thing you can do to it, but not all color treatments are bad for your hair. With bleaching, you are removing all of the natural pigments from the hair strands making them thinner and more susceptible to breakage, but adding color will actually plump up your hair strands making your hair look fuller.

16. You can’t color your hair while you are pregnant.

Coloring your hair while you are pregnant is not any more dangerous than coloring your hair while you are not pregnant. Where the concern lies is inhaling the ammonia fumes from your color service while you are pregnant. So if you do choose to color while you are with child, ask your stylist about a low ammonia color service or place color in foils avoiding so many of the fumes until after your little bundle of joy arrives.

17. The more you brush your hair, the healthier it will be.

While brushing your hair is most definitely a good and necessary thing, the only value in brushing your hair more is distributing oils through the length and ends where hair tends to be dryer. If your hair is tangled, brush it! But remember that HARSH over brushing can actually damage the hairs cuticle, which is the hair’s protective outer layer.

18. More lather from your shampoo = better clean for your hair.

Humans have conditioned themselves into thinking that just because something has a good lather, that it does a better job cleaning something. This is not necessarily true, especially now that sulfate free shampoos have become very popular. The sulfates added to shampoo are what give it its lather. However, these same sulfate additives can also dry your hair out and cause color-treated hair to fade much more quickly. So when it comes to shampoo less lather actually still means clean.

19. Dandruff is the same as dry scalp.

For years even I thought any flaking at the scalp meant that I had Dandruff. The fact of the matter is that there are a few things that can cause flaking at the scalp. One of these things is indeed dandruff, however, dandruff is actually the result of an overproduction of yeast at the scalp, and is most common in oily hair types. Dandruff will be large, yellowish flakes, and often has a smell to it. So what about those little white flakes? Those are dry scalp flakes, or flakes from product build up in your hair. Dandruff most often needs to be treated with a prescription strength medicated shampoo, while dry scalp can be cleared by using a moisturizing shampoo, and product build up can be cleared by using a clarifying shampoo.

20. Plucking one gray hair means that two will grow back in its place.

Tweezing is a normal part of life for most of us, especially as we age, but Tweezing a gray hair does not mean that two will grow back in its place. We often feel this way because once we notice that first gray hair, we start noticing all of the gray hair that is appearing. It is physically impossible for two hairs to grow out of one follicle, so two gray hairs replacing one just isn’t able to happen. Also, as we age our hair tends to thin a little, and the texture may change some, so it is good not to overpluck. Overplucking can actually damage the hair follicle causing the hair to no longer grow from that follicle.

While I’m certain we did not cover them all, I hope uncovering the truth behind these common hair myths helps you to better care for your hair and scalp. As always, if you are facing challenges with your hair, or just have questions, do not hesitate to reach out to your stylist a.k.a your “hair myths buster!”