5 Hair Care Myths Experts Want You to Stop Believing In

As your scalp and hair recuperate from all those days of incessant hair straightening and chemical colouring treatments, it may be a good idea to inculcate some good hair habits. 

When it comes to hair care, former cosmetics investigative journalist and founder of Paula's Choice, Paula Begoun's mantra is all about three steps. She says, "My hair care routine for the past 20 years has been very simple: I use a fragrance-free shampoo, then a conditioner and then before styling, a silky silicone serum. I usually use shampoo and conditioner from my Paula’s Choice Skincare line. Fragrance-free shampoos and conditioners are incredibly hard to find, but if you do, they can be really helpful for a sensitive scalp. Fragrance (including essential oils) are known skin irritants!"

So, she shares some myths you need to stop believing in to stary your good-hair-day-everyday journey: 

MYTH: That expensive hair care products are better than inexpensive hair care products.

FACT: "The truth is there are limited ingredients that can clean hair and condition hair, and you’ll find the exact same ones used in expensive and inexpensive products alike. Just because one hair care product is pricier than another doesn’t mean it’s formulated with higher quality ingredients." 

MYTH: That hair care products or hair treatments can repair hair.

FACT: "Hair is dead, and there is nothing you can use to rebuild or restructure it. What can happen when you use good conditioners and styling products is that your damaged hair can temporarily look and feel smoother, softer, shinier, and healthier but none of that means your hair has been repaired. If you don't keep using the products every time you wash your hair, it will go back to looking and feeling damaged because nothing has been permanently changed."

MYTH: That natural hair dye products work as effectively as synthetic formulas.

FACT: "To really cover grey hair or change hair to a different colour, you’ll need synthetic ingredients. Henna is the only natural hair dye but henna can only impart an orangish to reddish colour on hair and doesn’t colour grey evenly."

MYTH: That brushing your hair frequently or 100 strokes a day is healthy for hair.

FACT: "Sadly, just the opposite is true. The more you manipulate your hair, the more damage you cause because the friction of brushing tears at the hair shaft’s protective cuticle layer and can eventually leave the hair broken and weak."

MYTH: That stress causes hair to turn grey.

FACT: "There isn’t a conclusive scientific proof that stress causes a change in hair colour. If that was true everyone would have grey hair including teenagers and college students who are always stressed. Actually,, who in the world isn’t stressed, but not everyone has gray hair?!"

MYTH: That frequently trimming hair helps it to grow faster.

"Hair grows from the scalp not from the bottom of the hair. And remember hair is dead so there is no reaction as all to get getting a trim other than your hair looks neater."