Myth Busting

There are a few myths that fly around in terms of what can cause hair loss.

So, we’re going to take a look at what some of those are.

It’s important to know what’s the truth and what’s false when understanding the causes of hair loss so that you’re not trying to take unnecessary precautions.

Let’s take a look at what my top 4 myths are!

1. Clogged Pores

Although this is a myth, it would be great if it wasn’t.

It would mean that there was a simple treatment.

Essentially, if clogged pores were the cause of hair loss or baldness, treatment would be as simple as clearing the pores to allow the hair to grow through.

Unfortunately, exfoliation processes aren’t able to prevent hair loss, so this is a myth.

2. Wearing Hats

Some people believe that wearing a hat prevents hair growth by blocking your head from air and sunlight.

Neither of these affects the growth of hair, so wearing a hat will not cause hair thinning or baldness as a result.

However, wearing some hats – which are maybe quite tight on your head (or at least in certain areas) – can cause friction-based (traction) alopecia.

Therefore, although hats can cause alopecia, the reasoning that you’ll usually hear for it is a myth.

3. Frequent Shampooing

People believe that, because you see the majority of hair loss when shampooing your hair, shampooing is the cause.

It’s not the case.

We naturally shed approximately 150 hairs per day, so it’s not surprising that many of them can get entangled with the rest of the hair on your head.

So, when you’re shampooing, you’re pretty much just removing hair that’s already shed.

Because it became caught with the rest of your hair, it was unable to fall from the head. Therefore, shampooing allows you to free it, which is what gives the illusion of it falling out.

4. Decreased Blood Flow to the Scalp

There’s a myth that this is a cause of hair loss. However, it’s a result of it.

Growing hair requires a fair amount of blood to be flowing to the skull, so it’s understandable why people may believe that decreased blood flow is the cause.

Despite this, less blood flowing through the scalp is a result of hair loss because the hair is not there to need the blood supply.

Take Care of Your Hair

By having a basic understanding of these myths, you don’t need to worry about these common misconceptions which may have concerned you before.

If you want to find out more about some of the actual causes, then have a look through our previous blogs.

We’ve discussed many reasons, including both medical and environmental. So, take a look and broaden your knowledge.