10 Hair Care Myths You Need to Stop Believing Now
Our peers and the society around us constantly bombard us with numerous ‘fake facts’ about our hair and skin, which we often tend to believe. The truth is that most of these common myths are not only false but can end up putting a damper on your hair care regime.
1) Brush 100 Strokes A Day for Healthy Hair
Brushing or combing your hair too rigorously can cause friction in your hair, damaging it and making it weak from the roots. However, there are benefits to brushing gently and briefly with a natural bristle brush. It stimulates blood circulation of your scalp and helps distribute natural oils from the roots to tips.
Don’t use plastic or synthetic brushes, old brushes with bent or broken strands, or hairbrushes that are wet. Gently detangle knots before brushing.
2) Frequent Trims Make Hair Grow Faster
Getting your hair trimmed every six to eight weeks can prevent split ends from creeping up the length of your hair. Regular trimming also prevents split ends from increasing in length.
According to the Trichological Society, hair grows between 0.5 and 1.7cm per month, with ethnicity being a key factor in determining how fast your hair grows. Genetics, gender, age and nutrition are other important factors that influence hair growth.
During the summer, hair grows faster because of increased blood circulation to the skin and scalp. And during the winter, body heat is conserved by diverting blood flow away from the extremities and toward internal organs. This can slow down hair growth.
3) Frequent Shampooing Can Cause Severe Damage to Your Strands
Shampoos are meant just to clean your hair and scalp. They can’t make your hair grow faster or make it strong or weak from the roots. Shampooing helps to keep your hair free from dirt, dust, product build-up, etc. and keep it healthy.
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.
4) Dandruff Signifies a Dry Scalp
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.
5) Natural Oils Are Good for Your Hair
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.
6) Plucking Grey Hair Can Result in Multiple Grey Strands Sprouting from The Scalp
The color change of your hair is caused due to the absence of melanin in the hair follicle. 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 spot.
7) It’s Better to Air-Dry Your Hair Than to Blow-Dry It
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. 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.
8) Keep On Changing Your Shampoo and Conditioner Every Couple of Months
It is quite difficult to get the right hair care product and if you already have one, don’t bother to change it repeatedly. 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.
9) Color Stays Better on Dirty Hair
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.
10) Stress Causes Gray Hair
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.
Call Matin Beauty Salon today and request a professional hair CARING in Thornhill.
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.
Give it a try at Matin Beauty and see what everyone’s fussing about
