6 Myths About Hair Loss
Men and women alike worry about hair loss. Is it normal to start thinning here? Should I change my hair routine to stop hair loss? How much hair is too much to lose? As a hairstylist, I get a lot questions about what causes hair loss and how it can be prevented.
This week, I’m tackling the most common myths I’ve been heard about male and female hair loss. If you’re wondering if something you’ve heard is fact or fiction, share it in the comments section and I’d be happy to confirm or debunk it!
Inherited from Your Mother’s Side (Or Your Father’s Side)
How about both sides? Genetics play a key role in hair loss, but the hair loss gene does not come from one side of the family. You can inherit the hair loss gene from either side of your family (so you can stop blaming one person!).
Wearing a Tight Hat or Baseball Cap Smothers Your Hair
This is another one of those urban myths. Tight hats or caps will not cause hair loss. The only part of your hair that is living and needs oxygen is your follicle. Your follicles get their nutrients through the blood in the scalp, not the oxygen around you.
Only Men Deal with Hair Loss
Ask most women, and they’d tell you this is false, false, false. Men and women both deal with hair loss. This is not a phenomenon that affects only one group of people - all people, regardless of sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic class can be affected by hair loss.
All Hair Loss Can Be Prevented
The majority of hair loss - especially when it comes to male and female pattern baldness - cannot be prevented. Most hair loss is caused by a process called miniaturization, where the hair follicles shrink down. There is no way to stop the process of miniaturization from beginning.
The Sun Causes Baldness
You know how your hair turns a little lighter in the summer from all the sun? That’s not causing hair loss. It does make your hair shaft a little more brittle, and might, in extreme situations cause hair shedding. Hair shedding and hair loss are not the same (I’ll be talking more about this in a future post!). Even so, standard amounts of sun will not cause hair loss. If you feel like you’re getting too much sun - wear a hat or switch over to hair products with SPF.
Washing Your Hair Makes You Bald Faster
This is your sign telling you not to fret the next time your hair sheds in the shower. It’s normal for people to lose between 50 to 100 hairs per day. The majority of us notice this in the shower. Have no fear though, cleaning your hair will not make it fall out!