When it comes to hair loss, there are lots of myths about causes and cures. Our Healthy Skeptic combs through the facts to reveal what’s true and what’s not.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Hey. It’s Robert Davis, the Healthy Skeptic. Hair loss is a concern for many people, and there’s no shortage of information about what causes it and what you can do about it. But some of what you’ve probably heard is misleading or flat-out wrong. Here are six common hair loss myths.
Myth #1. Baldness in men is always inherited from their mother’s side of the family.
Nope. In fact, baldness involves a number of different genes that can be passed down from the mother or father.
Myth #2. Genetics causes hair loss only in men.
Actually, women may also be affected. There’s a difference, though, in how this type of hair loss, known as androgenetic alopecia, typically appears in men versus women.
In male-pattern hair loss, the hairline recedes and there may be partial or complete baldness on the crown.
Female pattern hair loss, in contrast, usually starts at the part line on top and moves out from there.
Myth #3. Stress causes permanent hair loss.
It’s true that major emotional stress can cause your hair to fall out, but the good news is that it usually grows back once the stress subsides. Physical stress on your body, from things like illness, surgery or rapid weight loss, can also cause temporary hair loss.
Myth #4. Washing your hair too often makes it fall out.
Seeing hairs in the shower may give this impression. But in fact, we shed up to 100 hairs a day as part of the normal hair growth cycle. Those hairs in the shower are among them so they’d be gonners whether you washed your hair or not.
Myth # 5. Wearing a hat leads to hair loss.
Generally no, but with a caveat. If the hat is super tight, this over time can result in traction alopecia, which is hair loss due to repeatedly pulling on the hair.
The main culprit is hair styles such as tight braids, buns, cornrows, dreadlocks, and weaves. This type of hair loss can be reversed if you stop what’s causing it early enough. If not, there can be permanent damage to hair follicles.
Myth #6: Dietary supplements are proven to stop hair loss and grow hair.
Contrary to their claims, there’s no solid evidence that these are effective.
It’s true that a deficiency in certain nutrients such as biotin, an ingredient in many supplements, may lead to hair loss.
But biotin deficiency is rare, and if you get enough, taking extra won’t help with hair loss. Plus, biotin can interfere with certain lab tests, and supplements aren’t required to be tested for safety.
Better to eat a healthy diet to get the nutrients your hair needs. Beyond that, talk to a dermatologist to discuss remedies like medications and surgery. There are proven ways to slow or reverse hair loss.
And that’s no myth.