Hair loss affects many men and women worldwide. There is a lot of contrasting information on the internet which is not helpful to those who are looking for help on the situation. Below are some popular myths of hair loss followed by an explanation as to why they are true or false.
- Hair loss is passed down from women only
- Balding only happens in old age
- Wearing hat all the time can cause hair loss
- Stress causes hair loss
- Cutting hair will make it grow thicker
- Losing a handful of hair a day is a sign of baldness
- Hair product can cause hair loss
- Hair styles can cause hair loss
- Steroids can cause hair loss
- There is no treatment for hair loss
False – Hair loss can be hereditary and is linked with the X chromosome found in women however baldness is inherited from either or both parents. Men with a close male relative who suffers from baldness are more likely to become bald than those who do not.
False – There are cases of children with alopecia, although these are rare. Also men and women in their 20’s and 30’s can experience hair loss. Different causes of hair loss, including those related to medical issues can mean that hair loss is something that people of any age may suffer from.
False – For this to happen, the hat would have to be so tight that it causes severe tension on the scalp to damage the follicle. It is unlikely that people would wear hats this tight all the time. However, if the hat is dirty, it may cause infection to spread on the scalp so it is important to keep hats clean.
True – Stress or trauma can stop hair from growing. In most cases this is temporary though and hair will grow back after a while. If hair is lost permanently, the person will more than likely be pre-disposed to suffering from baldness and the stress would have encouraged the natural process to come around quicker.
False – People may think this because hair is thinner at the ends than it is at the root. Therefor when hair is cut, the ends will be thicker. When those hairs fall out through the normal cycle though, the new hair will grow in the usual way and the ends will be thinner again.
True and false – Obviously losing hair is a sign of hair loss and a handful may seem like a lot. However, it is considered quite normal to lose anywhere up to 100 hairs a day so a handful of hair may not be any kind of significant sign.
False – Hair care products do not have anything in them which will cause hair loss. Some products will be more nourishing than others and for quality of hair any products should be used sparingly. That being said, hair dyes can indeed lead to hair loss. This is because harsh chemicals within the dyes can damage the follicle, stopping hair from growing.
True – Hair styles like tight braids and plaits can cause such tension on the scalp and follicle, that damage is incurred and hair growth is stopped. This can affect people of all ages and is sometimes seen in young girls when their hair has been styled in tight pigtails or plaits.
True – Steroids may increase the amount of androgens. These androgens can cause pattern baldness.
False – Over the years, considerable progress has been made and there are now a number of pills and topical treatments which are unsuccessful in the treatment of hair loss. The key to finding a treatment is to find the source of the problem.
Anthony Carter performs extensive research and writes articles for HairLoss24.Com; the site for all information relating to hair loss treatment, how to deal with the effects of the condition, and its causes. This article was written by a guest author. Would you like to write for us?