We can answer the Top 5 Hair loss myths.
With enough factual stuff out there, let’s jump on some of the more popular hair loss myths and put these to bed once and for all, shall we?
1. This is your mom’s and dad’s fault.
There have actually been a couple of studies done in the last decade that look to settle this question. What was found was that yes, while there is a genetic marker that comes from the maternal side of the family, one study revealed that the a man is 2.5 times more likely to go bald if his father is bald than those men with fathers who are not bald. And there is no single gene that causes baldness, either, which means that the genetic clue may come from either side of the family and does not automatically skip a generation.
2. Don’t put too much weight on your hair.
Haven’t you heard this one before? This comes from those with thinning hair who used put a lot of hair products in their hair when they had a full head. They claimed that they thinned because they put too much product in their hair, weighing it down and eventually choking off the hair. The truth is there is no hard evidence that using a lot of product in your hair causes thinning hair or baldness, so you can use what you want. But let’s face it – putting too much in your hair too often can actually make your hair look worse over time, so this is a matter of moderation for your looks and not because of any balding consequences.
3. Don’t wash it often. Or too much.
Sure, let your hair get really dirty and keep it around. Don’t work up the scalp with shampoo more than once a week. Or on the other hand, don’t shampoo and condition every single day. Manipulating the scalp that much can make the hair come out in clumps. Sorry, guys – neither of these are true. You can choose to not wash your hair (but why?), and you can decide to wash it every day, and there is no evidence that either extreme contributes to hair loss in any significant way.
4. Don’t cap it.
Hats, caps and helmets are often considered suspects, if not culprits in contributing to hair loss. While it may be true that constantly putting on and removing a cap or helmet from your head can pull on some of the follicles and uproot hair, to say that it contributes directly to hair loss is hard to say. There is a way to put on and take off a cap or helmet so that you can wear one everyday for years and not lose any significant hair. It’s not about the fact we wear caps or helmets; it’s about how we wear them.
5. Don’t overstress.
We have all seen the stereotypical photo of the stressed out, agitated boss pulling at his hair in frustration. We can obviously make the easy leap to the idea that getting really stressed leads us to pull at our hair, which accelerates the balding process. While being in a constant state of overstress can lead to what is called short-term baldness (known as alopecia), chronic stress does not contribute to what is known as natural male-pattern baldness. The bottom line here is, if you are a hair-puller when stressed, you might want to cut it out. Stress itself doesn’t cause stress; it’s what we might do with our hair when we’re stressed that may contribute. So leave your hair alone, squeeze that stress ball, do some yoga breathing and you will keep all your hair.
