I remember being bombarded with advice when I was growing up. From magazines dishing out their best tips for healthy hair to my mother and friends putting in their two cents, it was hard to know who to believe.
It turns out that a lot of that advice was just myths, and if you’re still not sure what’s fact or fiction, we’re here to help.
RELATED STORIES
1. I remember watching Now and Then as a kid and hearing that brushing your hair 100 times would make it healthier.
The logic behind it is that it will help distribute the natural oils from your scalp into the rest of your hair and make it shine.
In reality, you should be brushing your hair only if it’s tangled.
If you overdo it, that only leads to breakage. Remember that your hair is delicate (especially when wet!), so treat it as such.
2. Was anyone else told that plucking out one gray hair meant two more would grow back?
This definitely isn’t the case. If you notice more gray hairs coming in after you pluck one, it’s just because you’re graying. There’s not much you can do to stop it, I’m afraid.
It’s also good to know that even though plucking them out doesn’t cause more gray hairs, it’s still not good to do.
If you pluck too much, you’re putting yourself at risk for balding. Instead, just embrace the gray or get it professionally colored.
3. Thankfully, stress doesn’t actually seem to cause gray hair, despite what my parents told me when they started to gray.
It does make sense why people think this. I started going gray right around the time I started my second year of university. I figured stress was the cause.
And while that’s not true, stress does cause thinning, and even baldness.
When the hair grows back, it could come back as gray or white, which explains why people think it has to do with stress.
4. Some people think that you shouldn’t color your hair because it causes a lot of damage.
The truth is that bleaching causes damage, but simply coloring your hair with a semi-permanent color won’t damage it too much.
Talk to your stylist and they’ll help you come up with something you’ll love.
There are dyes that will fade out after several washes if you’re not ready to commit!
5. Some people seem to think that mayonnaise is the perfect leave-in conditioner, assuming that it makes your hair smooth and shiny.
I hate to say it, but those people would be wrong.
Yes, mayo is full of fatty oils that one might think would help your hair.
But mayo will weigh down your hair and only make it look oily. It’s best to use a professional product that doesn’t smell like eggs.
6. Contrary to popular belief, letting your hair air dry isn’t the healthiest option.
When your hair is wet for a long period of time, the interior swells, which actually causes damage.
Thankfully, there’s an easy solution to drying your hair and keeping it healthy.
You’re supposed to let your hair naturally dry about 70% of way, and then blow dry the rest on the cool setting. Keep it about six inches away from your hair and enjoy those healthy locks!
7. Vigorously towel drying your hair isn’t good either.
Your hair is most fragile when it’s wet, and drying it with a towel is going to cause a lot of damage, so again, blow dry damp hair on cool for the best solution.
8. There are a lot of products out there that claim to fix split ends.
It’s really important to note that the only thing these products can do is fix the appearance of split ends.
The truth is that once you have split ends, that’s it. There’s no product that can save it.
There is no cure to completely fixing split ends, except for getting the hair cut off. Sorry.
9. Don’t spend your money on products that claim to give you thicker hair because they’re not going to work.
Instead, watch what’s in your diet because eating proteins , carbs, and healthy fats can all help improve your locks.
Staying healthy and hydrated is going to work wonders on your hair, skin, and the rest of your body.
Make sure you’re getting enough iron, zinc, and vitamin D. More time in the sun (don’t forget the SPF) is a great idea.
10. A common belief is that if you sleep with your hair down, it’s going to help it grow faster.
The unfortunate truth is that this isn’t the case . I know, it’s sad because I would do anything to get my locks to grow as fast as possible.
So don’t worry, it’s okay to sleep in a ponytail because it’s not going to stunt your hair’s growth.
Though you should know that it may cause hair thinning or even loss if it’s too tight, so be careful.
11. Ages ago, people would use lemon or vinegar to give themselves shinier, lighter hair.
People still believe this myth today , even though it’s far from true. There’s actually some pretty cool reasoning behind it.
Back in the day, shampoo was made differently than it is today.
It was a soap that would leave you with a film, and people used lemons or vinegar to remove this film, making it shinier. It’s an old and unnecessary practice these days.
12. You might notice that every time you’re in the shower, you’re constantly shedding a lot of hair.
Because of this, people believe that shampooing is the cause of you shedding those locks of yours.
The truth is, we naturally shed throughout the day, no matter what you’re doing.
You’re just likely to notice that you’re shedding more in the shower because it collects on the walls and in the drain.
13. We’ve definitely all heard that you’re not supposed to dye your hair when you’re pregnant.
We may even silently judge pregnant ladies whose hair looks a little too bleached or colorful.
While the concern is inhaling ammonia from the dye, the levels actually aren’t high enough to affect both the mom and the baby.
So if you can’t handle your roots growing in for nine months, you should be good!
14. People with oily hair have probably been told to stay away from hair oils like the black plague.
Right? Like, why would you want to add more oil to oily hair?
Oil and serums are fine for oily hair as long as its only applied to the ends.
Oily-haired friends deserve to shine, too!
Hair oils can be good for the heath of hair, so no one needs to miss out on their benefits.
15. Unfortunately, rinsing with cold water after you shower won’t give your hair shine.
Wouldn’t it be so nice if it were really that easy? I’d have cold showers every single day.
Sadly, the only thing it’s going to do is help seal your pores and wake you up a bit.
Actually, it’s been said that a cold rinse is bad for your hair because it “constricts the blood capillaries in your scalp which carry vital nutrients to each follicle.”
16. Some people firmly believe that wearing hats often can lead to baldness.
You might notice bald men wearing hats more to cover the balding spots, which is where this myth may have originated from.
In reality, male pattern baldness is a genetic trait.
Wearing a hat isn’t going to cause balding, but hats do a good job of covering up the thinning if you don’t want anyone to see it!
17. Sadly, getting regular hair trims will not help your hair grow longer.
Since your hair grows from the root, it doesn’t make any sense that getting trims helps your hair to grow.
With that being said, it’s still important to get regular trims.
Cutting off the dry and split ends gives your hair a fuller and healthier look, and the more frequently you do it, the less length your hairstylist has to cut off at once.
18. If you have dandruff, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you have a dry scalp.
An overgrowth of yeast can cause dandruff, thanks to stress, hormones, or even having an oily scalp.
Don’t forget to SHARE these busted hair myths with your friends!
