Did you know: If you are bald, you can blame your mom because baldness is passed through her genes? Hanging upside can increase blood to your scalp, making your hair grow. Letting your hair air dry is a sure way to grow lush locks.
Statements like these regarding hair growth have been handed down from generation to generation. But maybe now it’s to debunk these myths. Yes, myths! There are countless old wives’ tales, myths, and rumors regarding what causes hair loss in both men and women.
Let’s dispel some of these more popular myths and get to the root of what really can make your hair grow. How many of these did you believe to be true?
Myth: Wearing Hats Often Causes Hair Loss.
Hair growth is dependent on the circulation to your hair follicles. So, unless the hat you’re wearing is cutting off your circulation, your hat is not causing your hair loss. However, you may lose some hair from a scalp infection called folliculitis if your hat is extra dirty or greasy. So, be sure to wash your favorite cap frequently or change hats as soon as they get dirty. Wash your hair, too, whenever it gets greasy, dirty, or sweaty.
Myth: Vitamins and Supplements Will Regrow Your Hair.
If this were true, no one would have thinned hair with menopause or experience male pattern baldness at age 30. However, quality vitamins and supplements, along with a healthy, nutrient-rich diet, can help you keep the hair you already have and make it as healthy as possible.
Myth: Hair Loss Comes Through Mom’s Side of the Family.
The genetic DNA that can cause pattern baldness doesn’t just come from one side of the family: it can come from either mom’s side, dad’s side, or both! If you are starting to lose your hair, check out your first-degree relatives and even cousins and second cousins. You likely will see your pattern of thinning hair or baldness.
Myth: Increasing Blood Flow to Your Head Will Prevent Hair Loss.
While doing a handstand, hanging upside down or standing on your head can increase blood flow to your head, but this won’t help you stimulate hair regrowth. In fact, you likely will experience an increase in your blood pressure which may worry your primary care physician during your annual check-up.
Myth: Using Too Many Hair Products Can Cause Hair Loss.
While hair care products can cause greasiness, dryness, or strip hair of its natural oils, it doesn’t cause hair loss. There are a few caveats: using harsh chemicals, such as lye, can burn your scalp> This may not cause hair loss but certainly can cause your hair to become brittle or to break. Check the labels on your hair care products, and use ones with ingredients that are as close to Mother Nature as possible.
Myth: Haircuts Make Your Hair Grow Back Faster and Thicker.
Cutting your hair regularly can keep it healthy, but on average, your hair only grows about half an inch every month. So, if your stylist or barber claims more haircuts make for less hair loss, don’t believe it.
That being said, regular haircuts and trims do eliminate unattractive and unhealthy split ends. When your hair is cut back, only the healthy parts of hair strands remain, leaving your hair feeling and looking healthier and fuller.
Myth: Too Much Stress Makes Your Hair Fall Out.
Too much stress in your daily life can cause you to develop serious disorders, such as alopecia or telogen effluvium, which cause your hair to be thin and bald. This happens because the body’s stress chemicals, such as cortisol, flood the body and limit blood circulation and essential nutrient delivery to the scalp and hair follicles.
Dump a lot of stress chemicals into your system, and the hair growth cycle which is currently active will shut down. However, the effect is temporary, and hair will regrow in the inactive areas as stress resolves.
Myth: Styling Your Hair Can Lead to Hair Loss.
Using heating tools, such as styling wands or blow dryers, can damage or burn your hair. A common sign of this is excessive hair shedding, but the hair lost normally grows back. Hair shedding is not the same as hair loss. In fact, we all shed between 50 and 100 hairs daily; however, over-styling and heat can make you temporarily lose more hair than usual.
So, avoid tight ponytails, braids, and buns to keep your hair at its thickest and fullest. Brush your hair thoroughly but gently, and do not use super-hot settings on your hair dryer, straightening tool, or curling iron.
Myth: Menthol Shampoos Can Treat Hair Loss.
Menthol shampoo can boost hair health through increased circulation to the scalp. However, these shampoos haven’t been proven to prevent or treat hair loss. If you’re concerned about hair loss, there are safe, specialized shampoos to prevent hair loss.
Myth: Just as Too Much Sun Causes Sunburns and Freckling, Excessive UV Radiation Makes You Lose Your Hair.
There’s no scientific evidence to bolster this claim. However, excessive sun exposure can make your entire integument–skin, hair, and nails–dry, brittle, and susceptible to damage. Plus, if your hair has become dry and brittle, it may thin temporarily, causing your scalp to be more easily sunburned.
Myth: Hair Loss Only Happens to Old Guys.
No, sorry, hair loss can happen as early as your twenties, and just ask your mom, sister, female friends, and coworkers if hair loss is exclusive to men. In fact, many women experience thinning hair, widening parts, and receding hair lines in their postmenopausal years.
Myth: Sugar, Carbs, Red Meat, and Junk Food Make You Lose Your Hair.
Actually, no, both carbs and red meat encourage hair growth. Getting less iron in your diet (red meat is rich in iron) can even restore thinning hair, say experts at the Cleveland Clinic.
Myth: Sexual Activity Causes Male Baldness
This is absolutely not true. Research bears it out. Also, just because you are losing your hair does not mean you have more testosterone than guys with full heads of hair and ample body hair.
Hair Loss Treatments in Seattle, WA
Thinning and balding can make you start to worry. However, hair loss myths are just that–myths. If you’re worried about hair loss, schedule a consultation with the hair loss expert, Dr. Robert Niedbalski, at Northwest Hair Restoration for a precise diagnosis and custom-made hair loss treatment program.
The experts at Northwest Hair Restoration are highly qualified in a variety of procedures and will work with you to determine what’s best for your specific needs and aesthetics.
To know more about our services or schedule a consultation, call us today at (253) 572-2949 or fill out our online appointment request form.
