We’ve all heard hair myths before, but how do we know what to believe? We all want healthy, beautiful hair, the question is: How? With so much misinformation out there, I decided to delve deep into the misinformation and half truths out there so that you don’t have to! Read on to learn about the nine biggest hair myths that you need to stop believing!
Dry hair needs moisture
Not all dry hair is equal and the cure depends entirely on the cause. Naturally curly, thick, course hair is often dry and this hair type benefits from moisture. However, if you hair is chemically damaged what you need is protein. It could also be the case that your hair needs both protein and moisture, and a good balanced conditioner will greatly improve the condition of your hair.
How do you know what your hair needs? Ask yourself the following questions:
- Is your hair chemically processed? (Bleach is the main culprit for hair damage but over processing can occur with tint too)
- Is your hair thick / curly / naturally course?
- Take one strand of hair and try to pull it to break it. Does it snap easily? If yes, you need moisture. If your hair stretches before snapping, you need protein. This is because moisture creates elasticity in the hair.
Important: Too much moisture or too much protein can cause further damage to your hair. Balance is key.
Still not sure what your hair needs? Ask your stylist for a consultation!
Arrive with dirty hair for your hair color appointment
This is one that all my fellow hairstylists will be thankful to me for clarifying. It has been said that dirty hair is better when coloring your hair because the oils and dirt protect the hair shaft from harmful chemicals. The truth is that modern color is made with much gentler ingredients, especially if your stylist uses high quality, organic color.
Dirty hair can make it more difficult for the stylist to apply the color, especially balayage. Dirt and grease can also make your color appear darker which could affect the formulation of the color that the stylist uses. You don’t need to shampoo the day of your booking, any time within the 48 hours before you go in will do!
Frequent trims make your hair grow faster
While this is a myth when taken literally, there is some truth to it. The reality is that nothing will make your hair grow faster, what we need to focus our energy on is to ensure maximum hair health so that our hair will grow healthy and strong. Hair that is damaged, split and broken will never look beautiful, no matter the length.
This is where the regular trims come in. Trimming your hair regularly is the best preventative care you can do for your hair health. How often really depends on your hair. If it is generally healthy, not chemically treated and in good condition you should be able to trim three or four times a year. If your hair is chemically treated or damaged, it will have to be more frequently than that. The important thing to remember is that once your hair is split, the only way to resolve the problem is to cut. Therefore, preventative trimming is the best option!
Products can fix split ends
On the subject of split ends, we get sold many different products all of the time. Literally everywhere we look, someone is trying to sell us something. So I’m going to give you the real truth – there is no product that will eliminate or heal your split ends once they are split. Quite simply put: When your hair is already split, the only solution is to cut.
I’ll say it again for the people in the back: preventative trims are the best strategy to avoid split ends. If three or four inches of your hair is split, it makes no difference at all if you cut one inch. The split end will travel up your hair shaft in the same way that a thick rope unravels upwards. This can only be avoided by cutting the spit ends, so don’t let anyone try to sell you a miracle oil or cream or potion because it won’t work. For more tips on split ends check out this post.
You should change your shampoo frequently
As the old saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Finding a shampoo and conditioner that works for your hair is an art, and when you finally find one you love to be told you need to change every few months (or however long the myth says) can be devastating! Fear not, this myth is simply not true.
When to change your shampoo you ask? When it’s not working for you anymore! I have a whole post about shampooing correctly over here, because believe it or not, many of us do it wrong! So before you run out to buy a new shampoo, check out this post and make sure you aren’t making any of these mistakes.
Coloring your hair causes damage
While this is absolutely true when color isn’t done correctly, if your color is done in a professional environment using high quality products (preferably organic) there is very little reason that color should damage your hair. By nature color (ie: tint) is adding pigment to your hair, not taking away. Provided there is no color build up which is caused by coloring the same hair over and over again, there is no reason it should cause damage.
Bleach is different because it removes pigment from the hair and potentially can cause damage. I say potentially because when done correctly, in a professional environment it doesn’t need to cause damage. Of course there are many factors involved with bleaching your hair which should be seriously considered before taking the plunge. Thinking about bleach? Don’t do it until you’ve read this post.
Brushing your hair 100 times a day will make it shine
This is an old wives tale that has cause many a hair to break over the years. Excessive brushing is one of the main ways we cause damage to our hair without even knowing it. This should be absolutely avoided, and hair brushing kept to a minimum.
I’m not suggesting you stop brushing your hair, rather to brush strategically. Using a wet brush if your hair is wet and a high quality boar bristle brush when dry. Brush from the ends to the roots slowly and avoid vigorous pulling or snagging. More on avoiding hair breakage here.
Plucking a grey hair will make two grow in its place
This is simply not true. The end.
Kidding. But it’s really not true, so if you want to avoid grey hair this is not the answer. I am a minimalist hairstylist as you can see from my Instagram and I strongly believe in embracing and enhancing your natural hair rather than changing it completely. This is why I prefer not to tint the full head, which ultimately creates a lot of work and maintenance (AKA hair prison). Rather I prefer to do soft balayage or highlights, not necessarily to make my clients blonde, but rather to blend they grey hair. This does something wonderful to the color as the light hair reflects the light in same way as the grey, tricking the eye into not differentiating between highlights and greys.
You can make your hair grow faster
You will read a million posts and promises on how to make your hair grow faster. If they are honest (for example here) they will say your focus needs to be on health first, then length.
In the end of the day healthy hair grows better, which is much more important than faster. Long scraggly, damaged hair never looks great. The key is to take your time and prioritize health. Your hair will grow as it grows and will be more beautiful thanks to your loving care and your patience!
Remember to pin this to your hair care boards so you can come back to it later!
