The 5 biggest hair myths

[snopes]

Switching shampoos often? Shivering through a cold rinse? It's time to rethink your routines.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/13/living...s-o/index.html

[Esprise Me]

I've often wondered about the switching shampoo thing. It seems like every time I buy a different brand of shampoo, my hair looks great after the first few shampoos, then less so as I use it more. I don't know what would cause that, and maybe I'm just imagining it. But I'm a tad skeptical of this article, too, as the author does the exact same thing that every proponent of the cut-your-hair-to-make-it-grow myth does to back up the assertion: ask a hair stylist! Because they have no reason to tell people to get more frequent haircuts than they need. Nope, no conflict of interest there.

[Tabbyclaw]

Your hair, however, contains no living cells -- it doesn't react to cold (or hot) water, says chemist Mort Westman.

I don't know about the truth of that statement, but the logic of it doesn't track. "not alive" != "doesn't react to temperature changes."

-Tabby
the princess with claws

[mags]

I also notice my hair feeling better temporarily after a change in shampoo. I had heard/assumed it was because every shampoo has some parts that will be left behind as residue, which will build up as you continue to use the same shampoo. A different shampoo will remove those residues, while leaving different ones. I keep a few different shampoos, and use them randomly.

[greenfrog78]

Originally Posted by Esprise Me

But I'm a tad skeptical of this article, too, as the author does the exact same thing that every proponent of the cut-your-hair-to-make-it-grow myth does to back up the assertion: ask a hair stylist! Because they have no reason to tell people to get more frequent haircuts than they need. Nope, no conflict of interest there.

I'm a little confused here, from my reading it said to ask the stylist to cut off the minimum amount needed to eliminate split ends every 2-3 months. It didn't say ask your stylist how frequently to get your hair cut and then follow that advice.

[snapdragonfly]

Yeah...I have the same issues. I know my hair does "get tired" of a shampoo after a couple bottles, and I know switching makes it better. I don't know why it does, but I have 50 years of 100% of the time consistently identical results to prove it.

[videoguy]

Hair grows an average of a quarter-inch every month -- whether or not you cut it.

Geez, I wish mine grew that slowly.

[NobodyAtAll]

Yes, I agree that I get better results switching brands, too. Do you switch cream rinse, too, in matchy-matchy fashion or mix it up?

I thought this was going to be actually myths, not haircare. My grandmother only cut my hair at the full moon, sometimes waking me up when the moonrise was a late one. It was a matter of protection from ill fortune

[Zorro]

Originally Posted by videoguy

Geez, I wish mine grew that slowly.

I wish mine grew that fast!

[Esprise Me]

Originally Posted by greenfrog78

I'm a little confused here, from my reading it said to ask the stylist to cut off the minimum amount needed to eliminate split ends every 2-3 months. It didn't say ask your stylist how frequently to get your hair cut and then follow that advice.

Supposedly they're debunking the myth that hair grows faster if you cut it; they bring in a doctor to state unequivocally that hair does not grow faster from the root when it's cut. I've never met anyone who believes that; the version I've always heard is that split ends "travel up" the shaft of hair and you need to cut it to prevent your hair from unraveling like a piece of yarn--which I think is also absurd. But whom do they ask about it? A hair stylist, who happily confirms that you need to get regular and frequent haircuts to keep your hair from breaking. Except that doesn't jibe with my experience, or that of my friends, or with logic, but it does serve the ends of someone who gets paid to cut hair.

[damian]

one quick glance at Audrey, Halle, Tilda.....tells us that the cropped look can be sexy, seductive, and wildly glam.

Is there another Tilda, or are they referring to Ms Swinton?

[DawnStorm]

Originally Posted by NobodyAtAll

Yes, I agree that I get better results switching brands, too.

Same here.

[greenfrog78]

Originally Posted by Esprise Me

Except that doesn't jibe with my experience, or that of my friends, or with logic, but it does serve the ends of someone who gets paid to cut hair.

I've heard that myth before so it didn't seem that odd to me that they are debunking it. And they didn't actually recommend it as a blanket suggestion to everyone from what I read, from the article right before they talk to the stylist they say "Regular trims might make your hair look a little longer, though.". So I didn't see it as a "everybody needs to run into their stylists on a regular basis to do this!" suggestion but just if you have split ends and you feel they mess up how your hair looks then here's a suggestion on how to deal with that.

It just didn't strike me as odd that they would ask a stylist and it didn't strike me as an over the top suggestion and it was one that a person could skirt around the stylist altogether and still use the advice without spending a dime.

[Auburn Red]

I knew the 100 strokes was a myth, I actually heard it discredited when I was little. So I'm surprised that people still believe it. (Oh for a brief moment I forgot where it was)

[Xia]

I've found that my semi-permanent hair dye lasts longer if I wash my hair in cool water versus hot.

[Wild Redhead]

Brushing your hair 100 strokes does not make your hair healthier. What it can do, if you use the right kind of brush, is distribute your natural oils along the hair shaft to make it appear shinier. It also stimulates the scalp which increases blood flow and that 'feeds' the follicle. That in turn can help your hair grow faster and even help reduce hair loss.

There are few shampoos you shouldn't use because they really are bad for your hair. Head and shoulders is very harsh, you can perm hair with it, my class did it when I was in cosmetology school. Prell is horrible. You can strip wax off of a floor with it. Other than that if you want to change, change. Shampoo doesn't stop working. What you need to look at is your conditioner. You can get a waxy build up from many OTC conditioners. When you switch shampoos, if the one you switch too happens to be a bit harsher than your old one it will strip that build up off. HOWEVER, after a few days that harsher shampoo can dry out your hair.

The reason a cold water rinse can make hair appear shinier/healthier is because your hair has an outer layer called a 'cuticle'. It lays like shingles on a roof. Heat causes it to open, cool causes it to lay flat/closed, laying flat is a smoother look which in turn is shinier.

Split ends tend to be dryer and break off. It can make it seem like your hair isn't growing very fast or in some cases not at all. Keeping them trimmed off is a good thing to keep them from breaking off. Not to mention hair tends to look nicer when it's trimmed and healthy.

As for men preferring long hair. I couldn't give a rats behind. I wear my hair the way I like it. I prefer my hair long. Every now and then I forget and cut it off about shoulder length and end up hating it until it grows back out.

[Esprise Me]

Originally Posted by Wild Redhead

Split ends tend to be dryer and break off. It can make it seem like your hair isn't growing very fast or in some cases not at all. Keeping them trimmed off is a good thing to keep them from breaking off.

That makes no sense whatsoever. Cut your hair to prevent it from breaking? Why don't I smash my windshield while I'm at it so it doesn't crack the next time a semi kicks up some gravel onto my car?

[Jaime Vargas]

Originally Posted by Esprise Me

I've often wondered about the switching shampoo thing.

Originally Posted by mags

I also notice my hair feeling better temporarily after a change in shampoo.

Originally Posted by NobodyAtAll

Yes, I agree that I get better results switching brands, too

Originally Posted by DawnStorm

Same here.

And yet I have never noticed, and I had never heard of this belief. Could it be that we're to an extent seeing what we expect to see?

[Lainie]

Originally Posted by Esprise Me

That makes no sense whatsoever. Cut your hair to prevent it from breaking? Why don't I smash my windshield while I'm at it so it doesn't crack the next time a semi kicks up some gravel onto my car?

No, but you should mend small pings before they turn into large cracks. The hair equivalent is trimming off split ends before they break off.

Trimming split ends != cutting off all one's hair. And hair is not glass.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Originally Posted by Xia

I've found that my semi-permanent hair dye lasts longer if I wash my hair in cool water versus hot.

Same here. Plus, I only wash my hair 3 times a week and I use the least amount of shampoo possible.

Seaboe