The thing about hair is that in spite of it being one of the least essential parts of our body, most of us probably spend more time trying to preserve it than worrying about our vital organs! Of course, that makes sense, given that the appearance, style, and the thickness of our hair makes a big difference when it comes to self-confidence, social perception, and attractiveness. Unfortunately, as it is with anything valuable, a lot of myths have also developed around hair care, hair fall, and baldness, which can at times be very misleading. Let us now delve into six of those hair fall myths and see if there’s any truth to them or not.
Baldness is Caused by the X Chromosome Only
Baldness, considered to be one of the prime causes of hair loss in women, is not just caused by the X chromosome. It can be inherited from both the father and the mother, which means the Y chromosome isn’t as innocent in this as you might have thought before!
Wearing a Hat/Cap Causes Hair Loss
As long as your hat or cap isn’t dirty enough to cause an infection on your scalp, you are not going to strain hair follicles or worsen your already thinning hair. So just make sure you wash your hat on a regular basis and you should be good to go.
Emotional Stress Causes Hair Loss
This one is actually true; you can lose hair if you are stressed and it usually accelerates the process of balding itself. However, dermatologists have found that if the stress is relieved, the lost hair will grow back, unless there is something else preventing it from doing so.
Rogaine (Minoxidil) Causes Hair Regrowth
Another of those myths that just happens to be true. Propecia is more effective than minoxidil, but it’s prescription only. Be careful before using Rogaine (minoxidil) though because it is known to cause irritation and allergies on the scalp for a lot of people.
Gel and Hairspray Will cause Hair Loss
If the product is a US government certified product, then it will most likely not cause any harm to your hair follicles, contrary to what you may have been told. However, overusing hair sprays and gels can damage the quality of your existing hair and curling or straightening can also contribute to hair loss in both men and women.
An Overactive Sex Life May Lead to Baldness
There is absolutely no truth to this one at all and it’s just an old wives’ tale. While there is a relationship between hair growth and testosterone, your sexual activities have zero impact on your hair unless you have contracted an STD that leads to hair loss.
As you can see, not all myths are just that, but most of them are untrue. Of course, there are many others as well which were not covered here and to determine the truth in them, we advise that you use your common sense instead of believing everything you hear. Also, do contact a dermatologist if you really want to know things in more detail.
