The Biggest Hair Myths Uncovered

Switching hair care products often? Brushing your hair a million times a day for healthier hair? Maybe it's time to rethink these hair care trends.

Rinsing your hair with cold water makes it shinier 

You must have heard this misguided notion from 2 or 3 hairstylists. Their rationale: cold water makes the cuticles in your hair close so they reflect light better. However, there are no living cells in your hair; as such, your hair does not react to cold or hot water in any way. Instead, for a shiny glow, use conditioner and hair products that contain silicones and oils to make the cuticles smoother.

Frequent trimmings make your hair grow faster 

Hairstylists love spreading this gospel. However, Dr. Paradi Mirmirani, MD and professor of Dermatology at the University of California, begs to differ. She says that trimming the edges of your hair has zero impact on your follicles, which determine how much and how fast your hair will grow. In addition to that, hair grows at about a quarter inch in a month regardless of whether you trim it or not. Hairstylist Matt Fugate asserts however, that trimming does make your hair look longer as it gets rid of split ends. And these split ends are what makes the hair look thinner and shorter.

Give your hair a good 100 strokes each day so it can be healthy 

You probably thought that frequent brushing will redistribute the natural oils in your scalp and make your hair shinier. Or it will improve the blood circulation to your scalp and boost hair growth. But neither of these is true. Rigorous brushing creates a lot of friction in your hair, which could damage the cuticles and cause breakage. As a result, your hair looks lusterless and frizzy. Instead, brush your hair minimally and use a wide toothed comb or a ball tipped hair brush.

Less shampoo means less oil 

Dermatologist Jeffery Benabio asserts that your scalp still produces the same amount of oil despite the number of times that you shampoo your hair. Shampoo has no impact on your sebaceous gland; however, genetics and hormones do.

Grey hair is a product of stress 

A study, carried out by researchers from New York University School of Medicine and Baylor College of Medicine that suggest that stress is one of the factors that brings on grey. The study was conducted on mice and human scalp cells.

By Kathy Drap