Hair Myth Buster

Hey everyone!

First of all I would like to say thank you so much to everyone who read my previous blog post, it honestly means the world to me. For February’s blog post I decided to ask my followers on my instagram account (@hairbylara.co.uk) for some famous hair myths they have heard and whether or not they were true. I had so many responses so thank you to everyone who sent me their hair assumptions and myths. Here are some of the most common responses I received.

‘Washing your hair more regularly makes it greasier’

In a nutshell, yes. Washing your hair very regularly increases your scalps production levels of the natural oil your body produces known as Sebum. If you're washing your hair too often your scalp can become slightly dry, therefore your scalp's natural reaction to this is to produce Sebum quicker and more regularly, therefore making your hair greasier at the root. This isn't permanent and you can get out of this habit simply by washing your hair less regularly, it may take a few weeks of dealing with your hair being slightly greasier than you would like but your Sebum levels will shortly revert back to normal and your hair will be less prone to become greasy so quickly. Naturally, some people's bodies produce more sebum than others (this is why there are different skin types such as oily, dry, sensitive and combination). Therefore some of you may need to wash your hair more regularly than others as everyone's scalps are different.

‘Lemon juice bleaches your hair’

We’ve all done it! On a sunny hot day in June or whilst we're on holiday in Greece we’ve squeezed lemon juice onto our hair in the hope of achieving a natural sun-kissed highlighted look. To be completely honest it does work… ever so slightly. It only really works to its true potential on naturally blonde hair, however naturally blonde hair is prone to going much blonder in the sun regardless of whether it has a load of lemon juice squeezed on it anyway! The idea behind this theory is that lemon juice is highly acidic ( having a pH level between 2-3) therefore this changes the hair's natural pH level from around 4.5-5.5. This then opens up the hairs cuticles (bearing in mind that this also makes the hair more prone to breaking as it’s not in its strongest state). When the hairs cuticles are opened, the natural melanin level in your hair - in other words the natural colour that is in your hair, is much more prone to fade and therefore become much lighter in colour. So, to summarise, yes it does work in lightening naturally light hair much more quickly, however the sun will do this to your hair anyway to most hair colours so there really isn't any need for the lemon juice, and your hair is much better off without it.

‘Hair dye takes better on dirty hair’

No. Hair colour does not develop more effectively on dirty hair. Hairdressers may tell you they prefer to color your hair a couple of days after you wash it for a few different reasons but because colour ‘takes better’ is not one of those reasons. The main reason we prefer to colour hair that isn't freshly washed is because your scalp can be a lot more sensitive if you have freshly washed it, and we don't want you in any discomfort with itching or stinging whilst your colour is developing. This is why if you've ever had a toner put onto your scalp straight after your hair has been washed it can feel a little tingly. This isn't a set in stone rule, it's just more beneficial to your comfort whilst your colour is developing. Another reason we would rather your hair isn't freshly washed before a colour service is for our benefit, hair is much easier to section and keep in neat sections when your hair is slightly dirty. There's nothing more frustrating for a hairdresser than lovely, fluffy, soft clean hair flying about all over the place and slipping out of the sectioning clips when you're trying to do an immaculately neat full head of highlights (hairdressers can be real neat freaks!). In actual fact if your hair is very dirty and full of products such as hairspray, serums and dry shampoo this can create a barrier on the hair and therefore the colour can’t penetrate the natural hair effectively enough to colour it evenly, therefore the outcome of the colour could then be patchy, uneven and much more prone to fade quickly. So if you are due a colour appointment maybe wash your hair one or two days before your appointment, without applying too many products to your hair in the meantime. Therefore it'll be a much easier job for your hairdresser and you are less likely to have a sensitive scalp whilst the colour is developing.

‘Do hair growth vitamins and shampoos actually work?’

No! Please do not waste your money. Before becoming a hairdresser, I too had been sucked into this trend of hair growth vitamins, thinking my hair would grow inches and inches in just a couple of months and I’d be left with rapunzel-like hair, this obviously was absolutely not the case. No vitamins or shampoos will make your hair grow at a quicker rate. The key ingredient of hair growth vitamins is a vitamin known as Biotin, this is a vitamin that plays a big part in the health of your hair. For some people a significant amount of Biotin can make your hair stronger (NOT longer). Therefore the theory behind these vitamins is that if your hair is stronger, as your hair grows it is less likely to break, so then your hair will seem much longer as it hasn't broken off. This only works for people who naturally have a low level of Biotin. Hair grows, give or take, around 1.25cm a month. So when you see these companie’s ‘3 month before and after’ pictures you will see that the hair in the picture will have grown a couple of inches, this would have happened anyway regardless of any vitamins! I understand that all hairdressers may sound like a broken record but the best way to grow your hair is keeping is healthy with regular trims (I would say every 8-12 weeks if you are trying to grow your hair), having a healthy balanced diet and reducing the use of heat on your hair to reduce breakage. It's honestly that simple, and it really works. There is no need for the quick hair growth gimmicks, just the old fashioned methods are all you need.

‘Cutting your hair makes it grow quicker’

Similar to what I said in the previous myth about hair growth vitamins, nothing makes your hair grow at a quicker rate. Hair does go through different stages, in the summer it can grow slightly faster, just like your fingernails! However generally your hair grows on average around 1.25cm a month. This can also be affected by so many other factors such as hormones, levels of stress and deficiencies such as anemia. However, how often you cut your hair doesn't affect the speed. It does affect how healthy and strong your hair is and the amount of breakage you may get. So therefore when your hair is cut more often your hair grows significantly healthier and stronger. So subconsciously you may feel your hair is growing much quicker as you are noticing it a lot more as it isn't breaking off.

‘Plucking out grey hairs makes more grow through.’

No, this isn't true. This is just an old wives’ tale and there is no evidence to prove this. Grey hairs occur when a hair follicle no longer produces melanin (the ingredient that gives your hair colour). By plucking this hair out it does not cause another follicle to stop producing melanin. You should avoid plucking your hair out as this could cause damage to the hair follicle all together and may make the new hair that is growing through slightly weaker.

‘Split ends can be repaired’

No. Split ends cant be repaired. Hair is dead, that's why it doesn't hurt when you put heat on it and why you can't feel it if you pinch it. So because your hair is dead, once damage occurs where the hair structure is changed, such as split ends, they can't be repaired. The one and only way to get rid of split ends is to get your hair cut. Some products may claim to get rid of split ends but this isn't the case, instead it just disguises them, this can happen by adding a load of silicone into the product (this is not good for the hair). Silicone is an artificial ingredient that can make your hair feel incredibly soft and smooth and it is often found in very cheap high street shampoos, conditioners and styling products. When silicone is added to split ends it makes them less visible by effectively gluing them down to the existing strand of hair - meaning they aren't as obvious - but they are still there and will reappear as soon as you wash your hair again. It creates build up on your hair and doesnt let your hair breathe, making it appear lank and lifeless. Even though split ends specifically cannot be fixed this doesn't mean damaged hair can’t be improved by using the right products. If your hair is dry and you use high quality products that include natural oils such as argan or coconut oil this will really improve your hair's moisture and elasticity. If your hair is porous and weak and you use a product high in protein this can make your hair stronger, less brittle and less vulnerable to breakage. Hair texture and other factors can be improved using the right products but split ends can't be fixed.

‘Washing your hair with cold water makes it shiny’

Yes and no. Cold water does make your hair shiny. But you don't have to carry out the whole washing process with cold water - that would be a horrible experience! All you need to do is once you've finished with shampooing and conditioning your hair with warm water have a quick cool (does not have to be freezing cold!) rinse at the end to finish off with. The reason this works is because a bit like cold water closes your pores in your skin, it always closes the cuticles in your hair. Your conditioner will have done this for you already, that's why conditioner makes your hair feel soft and smooth, as well as containing nourishing ingredients it also lowers your hair back to its natural pH level, this then closes the hairs cuticles. A cool water rinse then just makes them tightly shut and when the cuticles are closed the hair looks shinier. This is why healthier hair is shiner, because the hairs cuticles are not raised and they are intact.

There were a lot more myths that were sent that I would love to answer but if I answered them all this would have been an extremely long post! So I may do another myth buster post sometime in the future to cover all of them! Thank you so much for reading and I’ll be back next month for another post! Keep well and stay safe.

Lara x