Hair Loss Myths - Busted!

Hair Loss Myths - Busted!: "

‘Damage-free hair in 7 days’… As you ogle the luscious-haired model on the poster, dismissing the advertising claim, don’t you secretly wish you hair was half as pretty? With pollution and fluctuating weather conditions in the city, a healthy mane seems like a distant dream. One of the biggest and most common hair problems is hair loss. If you truly care, you must go back to the roots and understand the hair. But before you do, let me tell you that there are many myths surrounding hair loss. Believing them could actually prove to be more harmful than leaving your hair unloved. So go ahead - start the repair, right after you deflate these myths about your hair…

Myth: Standing on your head will reduce hair loss

Fact: Standing on the head is practiced as a popular yoga posture called sirshasana; it is solely aimed at increasing the blood circulation and improving the bodily balance and rhythm. The follicles need more than flowing blood to arrest hair loss! Standing on the head does not help cure hair loss (and it certainly doesn’t help in hair re-growth!!!)

Myth: Hair-washing leads to hair loss

Fact: Washing/shampooing the hair helps keep it clean and healthy. There’s no issue with washing or combing the hair. This myth arises from the fact that, after shampooing, we see lost hair in the sink and freak out. As per your individual hair growth cycle, it is normal to shed 40-50 hair strands per day. If you’re seeing too much hair in the sink, its probably due to high stress levels! But shampooing by itselft does not cause hair loss.

Myth: Towel-drying causes hair loss

Fact: One school of thought is that rubbing the hair with a towel promotes blood circulation and stimulates hair growth - sadly untrue. The other is that towel-drying the hair makes strands fall out - again, untrue! The max you can do by rubbing your hair is alleviate the fall of those strands which were due to fall out anyway. You won’t be causing any additional hair loss.

Myth: Hair loss is inherited from mom’s side

Fact: Hey that’s a sexist myth! Hair loss is genetic, no doubt - but it is a combination of the maternal as well as the paternal genes you’ve inherited.

Myth: Wearing a hat causes hair loss

Fact: This holds true only if the hat is painfully tight (which usually isn’t the case with any sane jane)! As a matter of fact, hats can be quite useful in protecting the hair from sun damage and pollution. Any well-fitting head gear which gives enough breathing space to your scalp is safe to use.

Myth: Losing 100 strands of hair a day is normal

Fact: A hair follicle grows for four to five years. In its fifth year, it stops growing and enters the ‘rest’ cycle. In the sixth year it falls out and the growth cycle starts again. The average number of follicles in your scalp is 1,50,000… 90% of which is in the growth cycle at any given time. That means around 15,000 strands are in the rest cycle, ready to fall. If you lose 100 strands a day (and about 35,600 per year) you’re losing more than 50% more hair than you’re supposed to. Phew!!! The bottomline - you can safely lose 40-50 strands a day. Anything more than that indicates a hair loss problem.

Myth: Lack of sex causes hair loss

Fact: So we can keep having sex and never worry about hair loss? Duh! So not true. Similarly, lack of sex does not cause hair loss. There is no solid evidence or biological derivation to support this claim.

Myth: Hair loss is incurable

Fact: Definitely untrue. Though it is difficult to get rid of the problem entirely, it is possible to cure it to a great extent. Your diet may be lacking some essential vitamins and minerals. Rectifying the diet and taking prescribed vitamin supplements can help reduce hair loss issues. Leading a stress-free lifestyle by means of exercise, yoga and meditation can also help.