5 Hair Loss Myths Busted

Myth 1: Wearing hats too often can cause hair to fall out

Hair Loss is completely normal and nothing new. We can lose between 50 and 100 hairs a day, often without noticing. It is estimated 53% of men in their late 40’s experience moderate to extensive hair loss.  There are many misconceptions about hair loss and what causes it. For thousands of years, there has been many hair myths, it is often difficult to tell what is the truth and what is simply just fiction. Let us look into some of the most common hair myths and gain some understanding on the most effective hair loss treatments that are available.

Myth 1: Wearing hats too often can cause hair to fall out

Verdict – FALSE

It is often said that wearing a hat too often can reduce blood flow to your scalp and damage your hair follicles. However, there is no scientific research to suggest this is true. Oxygen encourages a healthy scalp that generates growth, so whatever oxygen is needed is derived from the bloodstream, not the surrounding air.
Wearing a hat has lots of benefits such as protecting your face and head from sunburn. It protects your eyes from the brightness of the sun and it can particularly be handy to cover thinning hair and bald spots.

Conclusion: Wearing a hat does not play any part in hair loss, so make sure you wear a hat on a sunny day.

Myth 2: Only old people get hair loss

Verdict – FALSE

Many think only old people in their 50’s onwards suffer from hair loss. Reality is, it’s not an age thing it can happen at any time in your life as early as your teenage years. It is nothing to be ashamed off, it just means you’re genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness.

Conclusion: The good news is there are many hair loss treatments available. It is recommended to start treating your hair loss earlier on in life. This will prevent hair follicle damage and encourage more hair growth.

Myth 3: Washing your hair too frequently causes baldness

Verdict – FALSE

Whether you wash your hair once a week or a few times a week, it has no effect on overall loss or growth of hair. When you wash your hair you may see more hair fall out in the shower or whilst its wet. However, this is hair that would have naturally fallen out anyway.

Conclusion: The scalp is where living hair cells grow, so it is important to look after it. Most experts would recommend washing your hair 3x a week. So, giving your scalp a nice massage whilst you shampoo will greatly benefit your hair. Don’t be scared, wash your hair.

Myth 4: Hair loss is only a problem for Men

Verdict – FALSE

Whilst its true, male pattern baldness is more common. 40% of women aged 70 years and over experience female pattern baldness. However, both men and women experience hair loss differently. Men tend to start at the top of the head with a receding hairline where as women experience thinning hair across the scalp.

Conclusion: It doesn’t matter whether you’re a man or a women. Hair loss can happen to anyone. Don’t worry, there’s treatments to help everyone. Finasteride and Minoxidil (Regaine) are the main treatments for male pattern baldness. Minoxidil can also be used to treat female pattern baldness.

Myth 5: Eating too much salt causes hair loss

Verdict – FALSE

There is no evidence to suggest that high salt intake can lead to hair loss. However, eating a balanced and nutritious diet is vital for healthy hair growth.

Conclusion: Experts recommend that adults should eat no more than 6g of salt a day.

To conclude, not all those fun facts of hair myths are true. When you’re unsure, contact our clinician at The Family Chemist and he can talk you through clinically proven topical and oral treatments. We offer both branded and cost-effective generic medication to help regain your confidence. Moral of the blog, don’t believe everything you hear when it comes to your hair.

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