I have collected and researched 10 popular hair myths. It started when I had heard that you should brush your hair with 100 strokes each night before bed and I asked my stylist about it. After that I kept hearing these other myths and just had to find out
FACT or
CRAP. I felt like Everyone needed to know what I found out.
1) Brush your hair 100 times before bed.
The myth: Brush your hair 100 times before bed to evenly distribute oils for shinier, healthier hair.
The finding:
CRAP. You should really only brush for detangling and styling reasons. Brushing can pull out hair that is still healthy and growing. Plus, the bristles are slightly irritating to the scalp. When you do brush you hair make sure you are using the right kind too. A wide tooth comb is ideal for wet hair while a brush with plastic tips is the best for styling.
2)Get your hair trimmed often.
The myth: Frequent hair trims will make your hair grow faster.
The finding:
CRAP. You get your hair trimmed at the ends of your hair which don't have any living cells. So there is no effect on the living cells at the roots. However, getting your hair trimmed may give an illusion of faster growing hair because it looks cleaner and more well kept.
3)Rinse your hair in cold water
The myth:When you rinse out your shampoo with icy water, your hair have a better shine.
The finding:
CRAP. The only thing rinsing your hair in cold water will do is wake you up. Water temperature has nothing to do with shampoo. Cold water is a good rinse temperature with hair dye as it does minimize the bleeding of color but shampoo isn't color and should get all over the hair.
4)Switch up your shampoos.
The myth: Your hair can build up a tolerance to shampoo so switch up what you use often.
The finding:
CRAP. Your hair doesn't know the difference from one brand to the next. It may seem like your hair has built up a tolerance though for two reasons. One is that your nose can. When you have the same smell for so long your nose may no longer notice the smell. The other reason is the actual health or texture of your hair may have changed. If after a while your hair feels greasy and not clean try something not as moisturizing as your hair is very healthy producing its own moisture. If it becomes dry you hair needs some rejuvenation switch to a moisture repair. Yet if you hair feels fine and looks fine then it is fine and keep doing what you do.
5)"Lather, rinse, repeat"
The myth:For healthier, more beautiful hair, lather, rinse, repeat.
The finding:
CRAP. Would you wash your body over and over? Probably not. Shampoo is just soap for the hair. Once its washed its clean. Not that repeating is bad but it is a waste of your money. You only need to repeat if something is stuck in your hair. Just like you only wash twice if you have gunk on you skin.
6)Shaving leads to dark,coarse hair.
The myth:When you shave your hair, it will grow back darker and more coarse with more of it.
The finding:
CRAP. The reason your hair may look darker is because it hasn't been as exposed to sunlight. The sun lightens hair and reflects off longer hair making it appear lighter too. It feels more coarse because of the length. A good example is bamboo. Bamboo is very thick and stalky at the roots but flops at the top. So its natural hair is practically the same.
7)Hair dye and pregnancy.
The myth: Dying your hair while pregnant can be harmful to your child.
The finding:
CRAP. Hair dyes used to have formaldehyde in them which can be very harmful to a child in the womb and any one else for that fact. However, we have come a long way from that point and there are no longer formaldehyde's in hair dyes.
8) Sleeping with wet hair.
The myth: Sleeping with wet hair can cause bacteria and fungus to grow within the hair and scalp.
The finding:
CRAP. Although sleeping with wet hair can be very damaging to your hair, you won't grow fungus.
9) Salon products are the same as store products.
The myth: Hair products are hair products, more expensive salon products don't have that big of a difference.
The finding:
CRAP. Salon products are made with a higher standard of quality. They pay to do the research and get the right ingredients. For example, most store products(VO5, Suave, ect..) still contain sulfates which can really damege the hair over time while salon products have healthier alternatives. Also, the strong smells that are in the cheaper hair products can be harmful also.
Last but not least the only wives's-tale I found to be a fact:
10)Smoking may lead to grey hairs.
The myth:Smoking can actually lead to grey hair.
The finding:
FACT. In 1997 in England there was a study that did find that people who smoke are 4x more likely to have grey hair. Smoking also has an effect on premature balding!
