Haircare myths debunked — from shaving and hair growth to dandruff and genetic male hair loss

The average UK woman spends 10 days a year doing her hair at home, and more than £3,000 on products. We’re constantly looking for the quickest and easiest way to achieve a good hair day, every day; but are we doing more damage to our hair in the process?

One of the greatest things about living in the digital age is that we have access to a wealth of information that previous generations did not… but there is still a ton of misinformation out there. From superstitions to hacks, we take a look at some of the most common hair myths you should avoid:

Male hair loss is inherited from the mother

If your maternal grandfather is bald, that doesn’t necessarily mean that you will be too. We’re not entirely sure how the bald gene comes from, but it isn’t just passed down from the maternal side of your family. There are a number of other factors that can contribute to hair loss, including hormonal, environmental and stress too.

Dandruff is caused by dry scalp

When we talk about dandruff, we tend to describe it as dry scalp, but that’s not always the case. You can have a dry scalp and not have flakes, and you can have dandruff and not have a dry scalp. Dandruff is caused by an excess of the yeast that exists on your scalp that can be due to a number of environmental and genetic factors.

Using care products with an anti-fungal such as ketoconazol, selenium disulphide or salicylic acid can help keep it under control.

Brushing your hair 100 times will make it shiny

This one is definitely something that has been handed down through the generations. You can imagine your grandmother, sitting on the edge of her bed, brushing through her hair with a bristle brush and counting the strokes under her breath. Well, leave it to the past.

Brushing your hair helps to distribute the natural oils from your scalp down the lengths, so it’s not entirely inaccurate, but 100 times? That’s just overkill. Everything in moderation please. Plus, if you have curly hair, brushing will disturb the curl pattern and turn your coils to frizz. Instead, use a wide toothed comb to detangle your hair, and refresh your curls by spritzing them with water and scrunching.

Using products that contain nourishing ingredients will help keep your hair looking luxuriously lustrous, whilst maintaining hair health and hair colour.

Shaving/Cutting hair makes it grow thicker and faster

The most common myth by far is that shaving or cutting your hair makes it grow thicker and faster. When hair grows from the follicle, the ends are naturally tapered to a point, so when you cut them the blunt, uniform ends can make the hair appear thicker, but that’s it. Getting your hair trimmed regularly will also stop split ends from damaging the lengths of your hair, maintaining its overall health, but that won’t necessarily make it grow any faster either.

The best way to encourage hair growth is to keep your scalp and hair in great condition. That means washing your hair regularly with a gentle cleanser to remove the buildup of product, natural oils and dead skin cells, and opting for products that help to reduce the daily wear and tear of modern living on your hair.