We’re taught from childhood that our hair will be bad if we wash it too often and that proper care can work miracles for hair volume. However, most of these “immutable truths” turned out to be no more than myths.
Healthmgz collected the most popular myths about hair care, and we’re eager to share them with our readers.
Myth #1. The more you cut your hair, the faster it grows.
Since
hair grows from the roots and not from the ends, a haircut doesn’t
affect growth speed in any way. In addition, contrary to popular belief,
shaving your head doesn’t affect hair density since the number of hair
follicles is a genetic trait.
Myth #2. Natural hair drying is better than a blow dryer.
If
you have short hair that dries in a few minutes, you don’t need to use a
blow dryer. However, it’s preferable to blow dry long hair, as water
molecules, penetrating the hair structure, literally wash out keratin
from them, making them brittle and dry.
Myth #3. Hair “gets used” to a shampoo.
Since
hair, like nails, consists of dead tissue, there can be no “addiction.“
In other words, if you wash your hair with the same shampoo for a long
time, your hair won’t get dirty faster or grow slower. Many factors can
influence this but not the ”habit” of hair to a particular brand.
Myth #4. A dry scalp is the main cause of dandruff.
Here
everything is exactly the opposite. Dandruff occurs in people with an
oily scalp. So when this problem appears, stop using hair oil, which,
contrary to your expectations, only worsens the situation.
Myth #5. Hair ends can be recovered.
You
can “close” split ends for a while with the help of special masks or
oils. However, to get rid of them, you need to cut your hair from time
to time.
Myth #6. Frequent combing heals hair.
Overly
frequent combing distributes the skin oil along the hair, and it gets
dirty much faster. However, combing in itself doesn’t affect the hair
health and can even do much harm. Therefore, it’s better to comb your
hair only when it’s necessary. In this case, a small amount of oil will
be distributed along the hair, which will help it look shiny but not
dirty.
Myth #7. Proper care will make your hair thicker.
The
thickness of hair, as well as the number of hair follicles, is a
genetic trait, so the quality of care cannot affect it in any way. Yet
hair care products perfectly cope with giving your hair volume.
Myth #8. The more often you wash your hair, the more oily it becomes.
Just
like color, thickness, and curls, the amount of oil released by fat
cells is laid genetically. Therefore, unfortunately, frequent or rare
washing doesn’t affect how fast your hair will get dirty. However,
properly selected care can adjust the work of the sebaceous glands, and
your hair will get dirty more slowly.
Myth #9. If you tear out a gray hair, you’ll get 2 or 3 in its place.
Since
the quantity of hair for each person doesn’t depend either on care or
proper nutrition, several hairs cannot grow instead of one. However,
it’s still better that you don’t tear out gray hair because you can
damage the follicle or cause an ingrown hair.
Myth #10. Cool water closes the cuticle, and hair becomes smooth.
Since hair consists of dead tissue, neither cold nor hot water is able to affect the cuticle’s condition.
Bonus: Use the right amount of shampoo
The
amount of shampoo may vary with hair length and density. A dollop the
size of a quarter is usually enough — too much lather can dry the scalp.
If you get a full, rich lather on the first wash, you don’t need to
repeat the shampooing.