There is a staggering number of hair loss myths in circulation today. The trouble is, not only will these myths not work, but they could also prove potentially dangerous depending on the type of hair loss you’re experiencing. For example, some types of hair loss are triggered due to other, more serious health issues. So, it’s vital you get properly diagnosed by your GP before seeking treatment.
Here, we’ll look at some of the most common hair loss myths and the truth behind them.
1. Stress will cause the hair to fall out
Now, there’s some truth to this, but the majority of hair loss isn’t actually caused by stress. For stress to affect the hair, it would have to be chronic and go on for a long period of time. A significant stressful event, can trigger temporary hair loss and it can do this in numerous ways.
One way, is your white blood cells could respond to stress by attacking the hair follicles. They literally cling on to the follicles and in turn stop the hair from growing. Once the stress passes, they no longer attack the follicles, so the hair will start to grow back.
Another, is down to telogen effluvium. High levels of significant stress can force more of the hair into the resting phase. This then sheds all at once in a month or three. Again, it’s temporary so there’s usually no need to worry.
2. Tanning beds can lead to hair loss
Tanning beds are certainly bad for your health, but they can’t be blamed for hair loss. This is a complete myth, though we’d still advise against using them. They can lead to skin cancer and they don’t provide Vitamin D, so you’d be better off heading out into the sun.
3. Under-washing the hair
This is another myth that has no truth behind it, however it is easy to see why people believe it.
Each day, you lose a certain amount of hairs. So, if you skip a day of two of washing, when you do wash the hair again, you’re going to see all of those hairs that have shed in the past few days, fall out all at once. It’s natural and absolutely nothing to worry about.
The above are just three common myths. While stress could lead to hair loss, it would have to be triggered by a chronic stressful event. Overall, it is much safer to visit a hair specialist and discover the cause of your hair loss before you seek an appropriate treatment. Getting a proper diagnosis is vital, rather than believing the many myths in circulation.
