Did you know that it’s completely natural to shed around 50 to 100 strands of hair every day?
You don't have to worry about that since hair is the second
most rapidly growing tissue in your body after bone marrow.
Commercials showing tufts of hair stuck in the hairbrush or shower drain can have you believing
everyday hair loss is something unusual. We’re here to tell you that’s not true!
Hey there viewers! Welcome back to another Bestie video. Today we’ll be
separating the myths from the scientific facts as we debunk the top 8 hair myths.
And while we are at it, don't forget to subscribe to our channel for more daily tips like this,
and click that notification button, so you don't miss any new videos! Now, let's get started…
Myth 1: Shaving or trimming your hair makes it grow faster.
Shaving does not affect hair thickness, color, and rate of growth. This myth was debunked in the
1970s. That's why shaving your baby's or your own head for dense and rapid hair growth is futile.
Your hair grows from the follicle that is embedded in your scalp. The tip of your hair is quite
lifeless on its own. Trimming the ends after every 4 to 6 weeks will just help it look even. Salon
experts call it dust. Trimming is also not the permanent solution for getting rid of split ends.
Split ends are the result of bent bristle brushes, broken tooth combs, harmful color,
and premature aging. Your hair cannot grow beyond a quarter inch every month on its own.
Scalp massages and adequate nutrients can boost circulation and can actually help your hair grow
faster. The growth might be quite discreet in curly hair due to the wavy hair strands.
Myth 2: Onion juice will make your hair grow faster
Did you first hear about this from your grandmother? Well,
don't be in a hurry to rule this out. Surprisingly, onion juice for hair
growth has some scientific evidence to it. Hear what hair experts have to say on it-
This is the actual published article that changed everybody’s outlook towards home remedies.
To make an authentic hair growth concoction from raw onions, just grind 1-2 of them into a paste.
Strain the pulp through a cheesecloth and collect the onion juice in a spray bottle.
Gently spray it on your hair roots. Don't forget to massage for 15 to 20 minutes, intermittently.
Use a mild shampoo to rinse off the onion juice. Repeat twice a week for the best results.
Myth 3: Stress causes graying
Stress is an unavoidable part of everybody's lives and it leaves a lasting effect on your face.
All those deadlines at work or financial worries can cause dark circles and wrinkles.
But that's not all, it also affects the color of your hair.
Scientists found abrupt gray patches in the growth cycle of the hair strand.
On further digging they found it corresponded with periods of psychological stress.
Stress also directly targets the stem cells and melanocytes in particular that are responsible for
imparting color to your hair. The destruction of pigment cells causes premature hair aging.
Sleep deprivation, one of the top causes of stress,
also pushes your hair follicle to go through a shedding phase more quickly.
So de-stress regularly. Take frequent breaks,
go back to nature, and learn techniques to manage stress and minimize avoidable causes.
Myth 4: Plucking one gray hair will grow many more in its place.
It’s about time we bust this old tale. We all start aging
at some point in our lives. And going gray is a part and parcel of aging.
Your hair cells stop producing melanin which is the real reason for the change in your hair color.
You might be urged to pluck one out immediately after you see it.
But the thought of those hair getting replaced by a bunch of more gray hair could be scary.
However, that doesn’t happen. Only one hair can grow from one follicle. So
if at all the same follicle produces a new hair it will be just a single white hair.
Are you going to your nightstand to grab a pair of tweezers? Hold on! Repeated plucking of gray
hair could be dangerous. It can cause trauma to your hair follicle, scarring infection,
and sometimes inflammation and bald patches. So you don’t need to go on a wild plucking spree.
Myth 5: White flaky scalp means dandruff.
Do you always think of those flakes on your black t-shirt to be dandruff? Well, it turns out it
could be a lot worse. Let’s focus on the dandruff first. It’s really just the overproduction of
dead cells that keep shedding. It could be due to oily scalp or yeast-activated fungus.
But the dry cast on the scalp can indicate something more serious.
A few skin conditions like Psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis could also have the
exact same symptoms. Don't take my word for it, see what the doctors have to say
You might want to stick to shampoos that contain pyrithione zinc,
salicylic acid, or selenium sulfide in case you get actually diagnosed with dandruff. .
Myth 6: Brushing hair 100 times a day before bed makes it healthy.
One hundred strokes a day? That's a lot of work!
Thankfully this myth has been denounced by a few hair experts. Moreover, if you have thin,
fragile, and knotty hair, the crazy brushing will just keep breaking your hair strands.
Using plastic combs, old brushes with bent bristles, and combing wet hair can
be strenuous for your roots. Brushing dry hair with organic combs can make the natural oil
from your scalp spread over the entire length. This may give a false appearance of your hair
turning silky. But for that, you don’t have to overstrain your arm to literally do 100 strokes.
If you just aim to brush the ends of your hair it might make your split ends open up causing more
hair damage. A study even found that increased frequency of brushing could actually speed up
hair loss. The bottom line remains, never over brush,
not at the ends and not along the entire length either.
Myth 7: Blow drying is more damaging than air drying
This one is going to be a shocker.
According to a study, using a hair dryer at a distance of 15 centimeters with continuous
motion caused less damage than drying hair naturally. Who would have thought that?
To explain more let me quickly run you through the structure of your hair.
The cell membrane complex or CMC for short holds together all the hair cells in a strand.
The outermost layer of your hair shaft is the cortex. Beneath it, is the central access medulla
and the innermost layer is the external cuticle layer. All these layers are held together by CMC.
Hair drying at different natural ambient temperatures like 47 degrees Celsius,
61 degrees Celsius, and 95 degrees Celsius were tested on freshly shampooed hair.
Repeated cycles of blow drying can actually cause the outer layer of hair to crack.
But will not cause any damage to the cell membrane complex which is the heart of every hair.
Air drying actually causes the cell membrane complex to swell up.
This could be dangerous and cause irreversible hair breakage.
Myth 8: Keeping shampoos in the rotation will help hair grow longer
This one can definitely be deemed as fiction. Do you think your hair could get used to a particular
shampoo or conditioner? You don't need to be a product junkie and start jumping from one shower
product to the other. If switching products is giving you great results then it could mean you
were using the incorrect products in the first place or your hair care needs have changed.
It could be a temperature change or a new hair color, a new heat treatment on your hair,
or a combination of these. Shampoos can never make your hair grow.
They just clean the coat of dirt and oil stuck in the strands and on the scalp.
Menopause, stress, hormonal imbalance, and illness have a direct impact on hair loss. Unfortunately,
it is not something that you can reverse overnight. Correct nutrition and a few hair
care tips can help you to get your hair health back on track. Want to know what exactly to do?
Let's keep the conversation going with a couple of more videos related to hair growth, shall we?
Watch 7 Best Vitamins & Nutrients Needed For Hair Growth or
10 Tips to Naturally Regrow Your Hair.
Go ahead. Click one or better yet watch both and learn how to oo to get a lustrous shiny mane. Are
there any other health myths that you would like us to debunk? Let us know in the comments below.