We've heard all the old wives' tales: brush your hair one hundred strokes every night before bed to make it thick and healthy! Cut your hair regularly to make it grow faster! In this article, we'll tell you which, if any, of these tales are true, and which ones are pure myth.
Myth #1: Frequent haircuts will make your hair grow faster.
Truth: Your hair grows at a rate of about half an inch each month, and cutting it doesn't change that. What is true is that frequent trims will get rid of split ends, so your hair looks nicer and doesn't break as easily, which can give the appearance of faster growth.
Myth #2: Stress can cause baldness.
Truth: Everyone normally loses an average of about 50-120 strands of hair each day. Extremely high levels of stress from major life changes like job loss or divorce can cause an increase in hair loss, as can other body chemistry changes like pregnancy or some antibiotics. But it's not permanent - once the stress is gone, the amount of hair fall will be back to normal and definitely, all lost hair will grow back.
Myth #3: You need to frequently change the shampoo you use for a healthier hair growth.
Truth: Hair doesn't build up a resistance to shampoo; it can't tell the difference. It's a bit like saying changing your laundry detergent on a regular basis will make your clothes cleaner. However, if your hair is very oily or if you use a lot of hair products to style your hair, then you should use a clarifying shampoo every couple of weeks to remove all the buildup (caused by the use of the various hairstyling products).
Myth #4: Plucking out grey hairs only makes more of them grow back.
Truth: Heredity determines how much grey you'll have. But refrain from pulling them out, as it can cause damage to the roots.
Myth #5: Cold water rinses will make hair shinier.
Truth: Rinsing your hair with cold water has no effect on your hair shine.
Myth #6: Dyeing your hair can damage it badly.
Truth: This was true in the past, but today's home and salon products are much gentler on your hair. In fact, most of them now contain conditioning agents that leave one's hair better than before dyeing!
Myth #7: Brush your hair 100 strokes every night to make it shiny and bright.
Truth: You should only brush your hair to style it or remove tangles. But be careful not to brush your hair too vigorously or too often, as it can cause breakages, as well as damage to your hair follicles.
Myth #8: There's no way to add volume to fine, flat hair.
Truth: All you need to do is to roll it up on large hot curlers to add extra body to very straight hair.
Myth #9: Shampooing should be "lather, rinse, and repeat."
Truth: Lather and rinse, yes. But unless hair is really dirty, there's no need for you to repeat the lather and rinse again.
Myth #10: Using the correct hair care products will mend split ends.
Truth: The only cure for split ends is a haircut.
