Hair defines how we relate to each other as romantic partners, as religious people, professionals, and more. So, when hair salons closed and people gave themselves “pandemic haircuts,” it was a big deal. People flooded social media with DIY hairdos.
Many were “bad” by a lot of people’s standards and inspired lots of laughs. The reaction to the pandemic haircut trend and how quick people were to return to salons shows how big of a deal hair is. Lots of folks aren’t willing to trust anyone without hairdresser training to cut their hair.
Falling prey to hair myths when trying to better your locks is all too easy.
We all want to look our best and go to absurd lengths to do so. That means that now and then, you pick up some bogus tips and tricks. Some of them don’t do anything but waste time and money, while others harm your hair.
The chances are that you believe at least one of these myths, but keeping your hair and scalp healthy requires accurate knowledge. If you’re not sure what hair advice to follow, this article should help you out.
Take a look at some of the most common hair care myths and facts that disprove them.
1. There’s No One Miracle Nutrient
One of the biggest hair growth myths surrounds biotin. It’s a type of vitamin B that people like to claim is all you need for healthy hair. If someone claims one thing is all you need, you should consult another source.
Biotin isn’t something your body stores. It’s water-soluble, and some people do need more of it, so it’s not a total hoax. What’s misleading is that there’s no single vitamin to take for hair growth.
There are some multivitamins on the market that provide a wide variety of the nutrients your hair craves. It’s still important to stay healthy in other ways, such as getting enough exercise and eating a complete diet. Another thing your hair needs that can’t be found in supplements is enough water to drink.
There’s no one-stop solution: Everyone has different body chemistry and various deficiencies. For one person, drinking more water is a must to prevent dryness and encourage hair growth. For another, drinking more water could flush out the biotin and other water-soluble vitamins their body should hold onto.
Like with any other aspect of self-care, there’s a lot of trial and error in taking care of hair. Nutrients like biotin aren’t a bad start. There’s no doubt about that. Avoid leaning on a single vitamin as much as some people suggest you should, and you won’t need to make up for deficiencies down the road.
2. Be Careful Brushing When Your Hair Is Wet
Most of us have heard that it’s good to brush your hair when it’s wet. You may have even heard it from a hairdresser. This myth seems super legitimate, and that’s because it has some basis in reality.
For a lot of people, hair is the easiest to brush when it’s wet. Knots tend to come out of wet hair with less effort. Stiffer hair types and intense curls are easier to manage with some water on them.
You might be tempted to do all your brushing right after the shower. Yet, heavy brushing with wet hair puts your locks at risk. Wet hair is more vulnerable to damage than dry hair is.
That doesn’t make your hair any easier to style when it’s dry. Experts recommend waiting until your hair is about half-dry to brush it. All you should do when you get out of the shower is pat excess water off and give it a quick, gentle comb-through.
If your hair is inclined to tangle, this news is extra important for you. Busting through knots with wet hair leaves a lot of breakage in the brush’s wake. Wait until your hair is semi-dry and use a leave-in conditioner instead of relying on water alone.
3. Outside Temperature Affects Hair, but Not How You May Think
You might have heard that hair grows slower when it’s hot out, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Vitamin D is part of the regular supply of vitamins your hair needs to stay healthy, and sunlight aids vitamin D production. With that in mind, the truth makes more sense: Hot and sunny weather makes hair grow faster.
Be careful when sunning for hair growth, though. People dealing with hair loss shouldn’t run outside and stand under the sun for hours and hours or invest in tanning lamps.
There’s a fine balance, and no amount of hair growth is worth the damage too much sun does. Too much sun dries out your scalp, causes sunburn, and worse—skin cancer.
Spending a healthy amount of time outside should get you enough vitamin D to promote hair growth. Make a point to take more walks with your dog or play with your kids in the yard instead of in the living room.
If you are going to be outside all day, have a hat or other head covering available to avoid sunburn. Sunlight doesn’t have to hit your hair to help it grow!
4. Cutting Hair During a Full Moon Has No Proven Effect
Before getting into this one, it’s important to note that everyone has their own spiritual and religious beliefs. That’s something worth protecting, and you might want to skip to #5 if cutting your hair by the moon is important to you. For starters, know that cutting your hair during a full moon won’t do anything to harm it.
To people who don’t believe in grooming by the moon, the practice is known as the cutting hair on full moon myth. If you’re not familiar, the belief is that cutting hair when there’s a full moon helps it grow.
For the biggest fans of this practice, that doesn’t always mean getting a full haircut. Many people trim off a quick inch or two to stimulate growth. Lunar cuts are so popular that some hairdressers do nighttime haircuts outdoors during the full moon.
Believers insist that lunar rays encourage healthy locks, but there’s no hard evidence backing the claim up. The part that’s proven is that cutting a little bit of your hair every few months helps your hair look better. A quick trim every few months is a good idea as it gets rid of split ends, but it’s not proven to speed up or slow down hair growth.
5. Washing Your Hair Every Day Hurts More Than It Helps
Would you ever guess that there’s such a thing as being too hygienic? In fact, there is, and the habit isn’t always due to something clinical like obsessive-compulsive disorder.
One of the most popular hair care practices around is washing your hair every single day. Say no to this beauty tip: It’s a myth! You won’t solve many hair problems by washing all the time.
Washing your hair each day strips your hair and scalp of natural oils that protect it and lock in hydration. It’s not good for your skin, either: Too much showering can result in a dry scalp.
It’s admirable that so many people want to be squeaky-clean, but scrubbing all the time isn’t good for you in most cases. Try washing two or three times a week to avoid damage to your hair, scalp, and indeed to your entire body’s balance of oils and hydration.
Maybe you shower every single day and can’t bear to abandon your shower routine. Consider making a few of your showers each week a quick rinse instead of a whole scrubbing and shampooing session. It might feel weird at first, but you’ll find that your skin and hair feel better in no time at all.
6. Many Causes of Dandruff Are Out There
Dandruff is often associated with a dry and itchy scalp. While it’s common for the ailments to come together, those hated flakes aren’t always because of dry scalp.
One of the most common causes of dandruff is a fungus from the genus Malassezia. If you thought your flakes were resulting from a dry scalp, you might have had it backward. Malassezia encourages excess skin cell growth, which makes your scalp feel dry and itchy. The extra skin cells flake off as dandruff.
Another frequent culprit of dandruff and dry/itchy scalp alike is harsh chemicals. A bad reaction to a hair care product is known as contact dermatitis. Your dandruff could also result from skin that’s too oily, often related to a condition known as seborrheic dermatitis.
One tricky consideration is that shampooing too often, and shampooing too little irritates many people and leads to flaky scalps. There’s a delicate balance that takes most people years to find out, so don’t feel bad if you’ve been struggling for some time.
Busting Hair Myths and Other Style Misconceptions
Now that you know there’s no truth behind these common hair myths, you can stop wasting time following bad advice. You’ll find your hair looking healthier and feeling better after changing your ways, too. With added free time in your routine, why not check out some other style tips? You can keep improving your self-care routine and free up even more time for everything else you love to do by busting more myths. Click on another article to get started with more great style advice today.