We receive a lot of beauty industry press releases that contain information that is…uh…crappy, to put it politely. So it’s a nice change of pace when we see information that’s science- based. Case in point, here’s the latest from hair-care advocate and health scientist Audrey Davis-Sivasothy at www.haircarerehab.com.
Debunking hair care myths
• Myth: There’s a magic pill (or oil, serum or balm) to grow our hair faster, stronger or thicker. Unfortunately, no. Hair growth is genetically predetermined and controlled by our hormones. Unless the magic pill affects our genes or hormones, there’s no hope that it might make our hair grow. (This includes prenatal vitamins. Credit the upsurge in hormone levels during pregnancy for those vibrant tresses!) Basic vitamin supplements can offer slight improvements in hair quality, but only if our body truly lacks the particular vitamin or mineral being taken.
• Myth: Trimming will make your hair grow stronger, longer, faster or thicker. Since hair is dead, cutting the ends has no effect on what happens at the scalp. Strands will grow at the same predetermined rate each month, and individual strands will grow in at the same thickness as before. While trimming or cutting the hair does seem to give the appearance of thicker hair, this is only because all of the freshly trimmed hairs now have the same, clear endpoint.
• Myth: Expensive products do more! Not necessarily. Always look for ingredients over brand names. There are just as many poorly formulated high-end products as there are bargain ones – and just as many worthy expensive products as there are bargain ones, too!
• Myth: Products made for or marketed to (insert race/ethnicity) cannot be used by those of other backgrounds. False! The ingredients in a product matter much more than to whom the product is marketed. In fact, most products have the same set of three to five base ingredients. Products for “ethnic” hair types tend to be more moisturizing and have more oils and proteins than those for other hair types. Damaged hair needs a good dose of moisture, proteins and oil to regain its healthy appearance. The same holds true for products marketed to those with color-treated hair. Even if your hair is not dyed, using a product for color-treated hair can be beneficial because these shampoo formulas tend to be gentler (to preserve easily washed away hair color) and conditioners tend to be super-conditioning, but lightweight, to help reduce dryness from the coloring process.
• Myth: Washing your hair too often leads to dryness. This depends. Hair can be cleansed as often as you like without dryness, provided you use the proper products to retain moisture. Those who generally have naturally drier hair types (including those of us with curls and highly textured hair) often shy away from frequent cleansing – but water is not the enemy! It’s the stripping shampoos and mediocre conditioners we use that are to blame. Using the proper moisturizing and conditioning products at wash time will actually increase your hair’s hydration.
Image credit: http://fc09.deviantart.net/
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
What about the advice that people with oily hair should not wash their hair everyday or else it makes your hair even more oily? Or something to that effect…
I personally wash my hair everyday because the sweat and just everyday life can be felt at the end of the day on my scalp and it’s irritating.
Interesting post – I’ve always wondered if washing your hair everyday damages it completely or offers some value.
@Whimsy: Read this article about training your hair to be less oily http://thebeautybrains.com/2010/01/28/can-you-train-your-hair-to-be-less-oily/
I agree with your stance on supplements so I was surprised futurederm recommended viviscal in an article of theirs. thoughts?
Very true on the shampoo ingredients being flimsy and causing damage and stripping in the hair. Getting a good ingredient base(preferably NATURAL) always goes a long way!
I also suggest a weekly to bi-weekly hair soak in coconut oil.
The studies for bhringaraj/Eclipta alba haven’t been done on humans yet, and I would have guessed it has to work by talking to the genetic code, but more follicles? That’s myth busting backwards, I didn’t know more follicles were possible ! just making them grow better, like with the hormones or needed vitamins.
I’d also thought humidification is bad for more fragile “ethnic” hair, or something about less humectants being a good idea, when hair has less elasticity for whatever reason, with other forms of moisturization being better – but that’s about elasticity, not “ethnicity”.
Also depends on how gently people do things mechanically – once a week is worse for hair if you’re rough on it.
@thebeautybrains: Thanks for the link! It explains a lot and doesn’t make me feel guilty about washing my hair everyday. I don’t suffer oily hair and not washing my scalp and consequently my hair often is liable to lead to skin reactions that is not easy to take care of with all the hair in the way.
Why does she say that hair needs protein? Hair is dead like she stated earlier… I know it smooths the cuticle but she’s literally saying that damaged hair NEEDS protein and you guys busted that myth a long time ago.
@The Beauty Cat: We’re giving her props for overall myth busting so we won’t quibble over the protein issue (even though we agree with you.)
Another Leila here!
Good piece! And I personally can tell the difference when I use a protein based conditioner on my chemically treated hair. Hair is dead, but it does respond to products. It’s dead, but not static. Using reconstructors too often leads to dryness and breakage from too much protein. We call it “protein overload” in our salon lol.
They help our hair feel stronger, even if just temporarily. Now, I don’t believe the hype about penetrating proteins and such (since they are bits and pieces/ aminos), but the larger ones can and do build up on the hair if you don’t balance them with something much more moisturizing. (Like hard water minerals buildup and lead to breakage- to me, clients hair is almost indistinguishable when these issues present in the chair!.) Protein/moisture balance is definitely real.
It is always cool to find another, especially with the same spelling, up high on that – could have been more consistent with my forum handle.
Love your passion about hair! I’m new to studying all cosmetics, but hair is my personal priority, because of severe B12 deficiency due to misdiagnosis. Yeah, it’s pretty bad, and I’ll keep your comments in mind in my label reading!
{ 2 trackbacks }