For many women, their hair is everything. The perfect haircut can practically change the shape of your face, while dyeing it can either bring out the color of your eyes or totally wash out your complexion.
Whether you have thin, straight hair or a thick, curly mane, you’ve probably fallen victim to plenty of bad hair advice at one point or another.
We all want to know the secret to healthy, shiny hair, but it’s tough to separate fact from fiction when it comes to great hair tips.
Before you so much as pick up your hairbrush, take a look at these 5 common hair myths that you should stop believing today:
- Trimming Makes It Grow Faster: That’s just not true. Trimming your hair will get rid of dry, damaged split ends, but it will not help your locks grow any faster. However, if you struggle with thin hair, trimming your frayed ends will definitely give it more body and volume. That’s why hair experts always recommend trimming your ends every six weeks, or so.
- Brushing Your Hair Makes It Healthier: Unless your hair gets super tangled every hour, there’s really no reason to pull a Marcia Brady and start brushing it 100 times a day. Not only does brushing your hair not make it any shinier, it also might lead to hair loss. Over-brushing can damage your hair’s cuticle, the protective outer layer.
- Color-Treated Hair Is Unhealthy: Bleach is the only real “color” that damages your hair. And that’s only because bleach isn’t actually a color, per se—it strips your hair of its natural color. However, adding color to your hair will make the strands plumper, causing your hair to appear thicker. So, if you struggle with thin hair, you might want to try dyeing it darker!
- Switching Shampoos Is Good For Your Hair: If you’re using a moisturizing shampoo, but you want more volume, then of course switching to a volumizing shampoo will make a noticeable difference. But, in general, switching shampoos just because you heard it’s a good idea won’t make much of a difference. If you like the shampoo you’re already using, then go ahead and continue using it! ##MN_RESP##
- Air-Drying Is Healthier Than Blow-Drying: As expected, blow-drying does damage the surface of your hair over time. But, according to a recent study in the Annals of Dermatology, air-drying can actually cause problems deeper in the hair. Researchers say the interior of the hair swells when exposed to water for extended periods of time, which may even be more damaging than blow-drying for 15 minutes.
Which of these myths surprised you the most? Tell us in the comments!
Photo Copyright © 2009 Ed Brambley/Flickr
