Hair Loss Myths
- Shaving your head makes your hair stronger and thicker
This is arguably the most common hair loss misconception, and it has all to do with human perception. Shaving your head only makes your hair “appear” thicker for a short time. This is because short hairs stick up straight from their follicles, creating stubble thereby making the hair feel coarser. Studies have been conducted and there is no evidence that shaving halts balding. If shaving the head truly resulted in thicker hair, then we would never have to think about hair loss or thinning hair!
- Shampooing everyday can result in hair loss
When we shampoo our hair, it is common to see hair lodged between our fingers or sitting at the bottom of the shower at the drain. This is because the act of shampooing simply dislodges hairs that are already in their telogen phase (the resting phase). Hairs in the telogen phase sit in the follicle’s base and are ready to come out when a subsequent new hair pushes it out. In fact, it is natural to lose up to 100 hairs a day due to the hair’s natural growth cycle. Those with hair loss simply have more scalp hairs in the telogen phase compared to those without hair loss.
- Inherit from your mother
Many people believe that you inherit your hair loss traits from your mother’s side. However, hair loss is a polygenic condition, meaning that it is caused by a combination of genes, not the one “hair loss gene”. In fact, research has found that men with bald fathers are 2.5 times more likely to have hair loss compared to those men whose fathers had no hair loss. So in conclusion, it can be inherited from either side of a person’s family.
- Too much hair styling product can cause hair loss
The most common form of hair loss is male or female pattern hair loss. Abstaining from the use of hair styling products will not fight this genetic cause of hair loss. If you use hair styling products such as wax or hairspray, just make sure to remove it by thoroughly shampoo your hair every day to ensure a clean healthy scalp.
- Bald guys have more testosterone
An elevated testosterone level isn't the cause of hair loss. Male (or female) pattern hair loss, occurs when certain hair follicles on the scalp are highly sensitive to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a by-product of testosterone. DHT causes the susceptible follicles to shrink over time, resulting in thinner and thinner hair with each hair growth cycle.