This one is going to be fun! I love debunking myths because some of them are hilariously out of date and yet are still mistaken as truth. There are probably some of them that I thought were true at some point in my life (so no worries if you believed some of these too). Crazy hair trends and norms have been around literally forever and hairstory is always entertaining as hell. We’ll go for some pretty widely known ones.
Cutting your Hair Makes it Grow Faster
It’s definitely important to cut off the dead ends to maintain healthy hair, but your hair grows from the scalp, people! Getting rid of the bottom split ends doesn’t affect the growth rate. Unfortunately, the best advice is to just be patient and maintain a healthy hair care routine.
Cold Showers Make your Hair Shinier
This one I’ve seen a bunch lately, but since it’s on this list. ERRR. Wrong. The temperature does close up the pores on your scalp, but that has no actual application to shinier hair. In fact, research has shown that hot water is actually more likely to help with shiny hair.
Prenatal Vitamins Make your Hair Grow Faster
Although prenatal vitamins are intended to provide boosts of vitamins that women lose during pregnancy, the amount in the vitamins hasn’t been found to increase hair length. These vitamins, however, can be good for stronger hair and bones and isn’t a bad thing to take if you’re not pregnant.
100 Brush Strokes a Day Keeps the Dryness Away
Ah now this one is straight from my grandmother’s grandma and still tends to be widely accepted as truth today. Yes, brushing your hair is great, but no, brushing it 100 strokes a day doesn’t make it any shinier. In fact, over brushing can actually make your hair dryer and more brittle. Sorry, Granny, but I’m going to have to pass on this one.
Plucking Gray Hair Makes More Pop Up
Your hair is made up of individual hair follicles. Plucking one gray hair doesn’t affect the hair follicles around it and causes you to get more gray hair just by taking the one away.
Shampooing More Frequently Gets Rid of Oily Hair
This one is all kinds of wrong because it actually can cause your hair to be more oily! For those of us with oily hair, washing every two days is a better option (though it might take some training)
Shampoos Stop Working After Awhile
This one got me, because I’ve definitely been a victim of switching up my shampoo because I think it’s not going to work anymore. Changing up your shampoo isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if your hair has changed in any way (color, more styling, etc.) you might want to find a shampoo more suited to your needs, but if you’re switching up your routine on a regular basis just for the hell of it and doing it often, you can mess up the PH balance causing breakage and dry scalp.
Natural Oils Straight from the Kitchen Are Good for Your Hair
I remember when everyone and their sister were reaching for the coconut oil and putting that stuff directly on their hair. Problem is, raw oils like avocado oil, coconut oil, and honey, are great as emollients in professional products, but by themselves they can’t penetrate the hair shaft deep enough to help with anything. Not to mention these products are a pain to wash out of the hair and often leave a sticky, filmy residue.
Split Ends Can Be Repaired
Sorry to disappoint, but split ends just need to be trimmed.
Sleeping on Wet Hair Prevents Damage
I’m really starting to wonder where all of these came from because so many of them have the exact opposite effect that they claim! Sleeping on wet hair causes frizziness and can cause cuticle damage!
Rinse Out All of the Conditioner
No one wants filmy hair after a wash, but if you’re rinsing every last drop of conditioner from your hair, you’re defeating the whole purpose of it. Conditioner is meant to nourish and provide added moisture and if you get rid of it completely in the shower, it can’t work its magic.
Flaky Scalp=Dandruff
Just because you have flaky scalp does not necessarily mean you have dandruff. Dandruff is actually a form of mild eczema where the scalp is overproducing sebum. Dandruff shampoos can dry out the scalp and make a flaky scalp worse if the flaky scalp isn’t actually dandruff. If you’re just experiencing dry scalp and not dandruff, try an exfoliating scrub to eliminate the flakiness.
Only Dry Hair Needs Conditioning
All hair types can benefit from well-hydrated hair, but those with oily hair might not need conditioning as often as those with dry hair. When your hair is hydrated, it’s healthy.
Wearing hats will thin your hair
Stress Causes Permanent Grey Hair
You’re giving me more gray hair! So stress actually has been known to cause more hair to gray, but it doesn’t cause permanent gray hair, meaning if the stressors are eliminated, the gray can actually reverse! So you’re saying if I go live on a beach somewhere, I’ll have less gray hairs? Kinda.
Scalp Oils Make Your Hair Greasy
If you have greasy hair, you might not want to be using oils directly on the scalp, but your hair could benefit from putting it on the ends. Hair oils are rich with vitamins and can help you achieve a healthier scalp by encouraging your scalp to produce less sebum.
Silicone Products Are Bad For Your Hair
We hear all the time that silicone in hair products is bad, but that’s not 100% true. Silicone products can help extend a blowout and eliminate frizz. The trick is moderation and proper use.
Phew, there were a lot of those. How did you do? Did any make you second guess your hair care routine? Nope. Me either… okay I’m definitely making some changes, mainly the part where I go live on a beach somewhere to avoid gray hair. See you there!
By Sadie Young