Hair Loss Myths Debunked

Key Takeaways

• A lot of what people believe about hair loss simply is not true, and many everyday habits do not lead to permanent balding.
  
• In most cases, real hair loss does not happen all at once. It tends to show up slowly through thinning hair, less volume, or weaker-looking strands.
  
• Genetics, stress, and certain health issues can play a real role in hair loss, while things like wearing hats or getting regular trims do not.
  
• The most important step is finding out what is actually behind the thinning, since the right treatment depends on the real cause.

Have you heard that: If you are bald, you can blame your mom because baldness is passed through her genes? Hanging upside down 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 time to debunk these hair loss myths. Yes, balding 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, and this is just part of hair loss myths. 

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 thinning 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. These are balding myths. The reality is that 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

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. It’s just part of the hair loss myths. 

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’s not part of what causes hair thinning. 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. Pay no attention to these hair loss / balding myths.

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

One of the most common hair loss myths is that 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: Hair Loss Can Be Caused by Styling Your Hair 

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. So, this is a balding myth too. 

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: Hair Loss Can Be Treated by Menthol Shampoos

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. Those are just balding myths. 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 and just another of those common hair loss myths. Research bears it out. Also, just because you are losing your hair does not mean you have less testosterone than guys with full heads of hair and ample body hair.

Myth: You Only Need to Worry if You See Clumps of Hair in the Shower

Many people believe that unless they see clumps of hair falling out at once, their hair is fine. In reality, the most common type of hair loss, Androgenetic Alopecia, is a slow, quiet process of miniaturization rather than a sudden shedding event.

Signs Your Hair Loss is More Than Just a Myth

Beyond the hair loss /balding myths, If you’re wondering whether you’ve moved past simple shedding and into actual hair loss, look for these clinical signs that go unnoticed by the average person:

• The M-Shaped Recession: Look closely at your temples. If the hairline is creeping backward into a distinct “M” shape, this is a classic sign of male pattern baldness, regardless of how much hair you see on your pillow.
• A Widening Part Line: For women, hair loss often starts where you part your hair. If you notice more scalp peeking through than you did a year ago, your follicles may be shrinking.
• Texture Changes: Without relying on the hair loss myths, pay attention to the feel of your hair. If the strands on top of your head feel finer, wispier, or shorter than the hair on the back and sides, those follicles are likely miniaturizing.
• The See-Through Effect: Sometimes the hairline stays put, but the overall density drops. If your hair looks “see-through” under bright bathroom lights or when it’s wet, it’s a sign of thinning.
• Sunburned Scalp: If you’ve never had a sunburned scalp before but suddenly find your head turning red after a day at the lake, it’s because there is less hair density protecting your skin from UV rays.
• A Mini Ponytail: If you find yourself having to loop your hair tie around a third or fourth time to get a tight grip, that’s not a balding myth. Your actual hair volume has decreased.

Hair Loss Treatments in Seattle, WA

There are many reasons for hair thinning and hair loss. 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 hair loss myths and our services around practical hair loss solutions or schedule a consultation, call us today at (253) 572-2949 or fill out our online appointment request form.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can hair follicles that have stopped growing be revived?

It depends on the stage of the follicle. If a hair follicle has only miniaturized, medical treatments can often stimulate it back into a robust growth phase. However, once a follicle has completely atrophied and skin has grown over it, non-surgical treatments are less effective, and a hair transplant is usually the only way to restore density to that specific area.

Is hair loss always permanent?

That’s another hair loss/ balding myth. But no. Not necessarily. While genetic pattern baldness is a progressive condition that requires ongoing management, other types of hair loss are temporary. For example, hair loss caused by severe illness or hormonal shifts after childbirth often resolves on its own once the body returns to a state of equilibrium.

Does hard water or chlorine actually cause permanent balding?

This is a common concern in Seattle and Tacoma, but the answer is no. Hard water minerals and chlorine can build up on the hair shaft, making it feel dry, straw-like, and prone to snapping. While this makes the hair look thinner, it does not damage the follicle under the skin.