There is a great deal of false beliefs and ideas out there in the world of hair. From old wives’ tales to the modern headlines which scream clickbait or fake news, it’s hard to filter through all the nonsense and determine what is fact rather than fiction. GLOWWA hair experts are on the case, and we have pulled together some of the most commonly held myths about what we should be doing (and indeed not doing) with our hair. Let’s get to the roots of those hair myths…

‘It’s really bad for your hair to wash it every day’ VS ‘You should wash your hair every day’

The truth: Diving in with an all-time classic – how often to wash our hair. You should aim to wash your hair 2-3 times a week, and then adjust this depending on your lifestyle and your hair type.

Finer hair: You girlies need to wash it more regularly i.e. if your volume has gone and your hair looks dull – WASH IT!

Thicker/ Curlier/ Afro-Caribbean hair: You girlies can go a bit longer without washing your hair .e.g. 1+ times per week.

If you don’t wash your hair for a week, your scalp will kick into oil production overdrive, turning your hair into a greasy and stinky mess (gross). This will pave the way for scalp breakouts and even an unwelcome guest – oh hey dandruff! On the other hand, it is not good to wash your hair every day. Washing your hair too much removes excess oils and dries out your scalp, leading to more oil being produced, it's a never-ending story then!

‘If you don’t wash your hair for a while, it will begin to clean itself.’

The truth: Yeah sorry gals, but hair does NOT self-clean. Not washing your hair causes a build-up of natural oil (sebum) from our sebaceous glands, not to mention dirt, dust, grease and dead skin cells – yuck. Ultimately, an imbalance like this could lead to an irritated and itchy scalp. Not ideal!

‘If you want your hair to grow, you need to get a trim.’

The truth: Let’s stop this right now, hair is dead hardened up keratinised protein - there we said it. The only part which is alive is the bulb, and this is where it is nourished and fed by the blood supply in your scalp. So, thinking about it logically, cutting your hair will not cause your hair to grow quickly. The suggestion of going to get your hair cut is the idea of making your hair look thicker and fuller by getting rid of split ends and scraggly bits. We are all for that!

‘Don’t pluck that one grey hair, more will appear if you do.’

The truth: Once again, utter rubbish. Each of your incredible hair follicles works independently, meaning by plucking one out, you are not making any impact on the amount of grey hairs you have. Buuuuut, excessive plucking does cause damage to our hair follicles, so don’t go too crazy.

‘Brushing your hair 100 strokes a day makes it healthier.’

The truth: This sounds like something straight out of a fairy-tale if you ask us! Other than a very tired arm… this is excessive and will cause damage! To prevent damage, it is recommended only to brush your hair when you style it. There are so many benefits to brushing your hair, so don’t throw away the brush just yet. Brushing distributes your hair’s natural oils, it removes tangles and knots and reduces build-up by removing impurities.

‘Rinsing your hair in cold water will make it shinier.’

The truth: If you’re anything like us (the boiling hot shower gals) the words ‘cold shower’ have immediately sent a shiver down our spine. We’re going to head back into that, hair is dead territory with this one… because hair does not contain blood vessels or nerves, cold and warm water have the same effect on our hair. Water can open or close our hair cuticles through absorption and swelling of the hair, but this process is super-fast, and not impacted by hot or cold water. Yet, a cold-water rinse might be narrowing the blood capillaries (delicate blood vessels) in your scalp. Since these capillaries are essential in transporting nutrients to your hair follicles, it is possible that cold water could be detrimental to hair growth - eek! It is the pH balance (level of acidity) of your hair products and the health of your hair that determines its shine. Meaning stick to those warm showers!

‘You’ve got to keep changing your hair products, otherwise, your hair gets used to it.’

The truth: Just like our skin, the condition of our hair and our scalp changes. Therefore, over time if the product you’ve been using isn’t working like it used to, this is because your hair or scalp has changed! This dynamic duo seem to react to everything life throws at them like chemical processes, environmental surprises, our well-being rollercoaster, lifestyle stress, and not to mention hormones...!

‘Leave your hair to dry naturally, it’s better for it.’

The truth: So, if you let your hair stay wet (its most vulnerable state) for extended periods, like going to bed with damp locks, you might be subjecting your hair to hygral fatigue. Hygra-what? This type of fatigue is essentially hair follicle damage caused by constant swelling and contracting. Basically, the longer your hair stays wet, the more it swells, putting extra strain on the proteins and cortex that hold your hair together. Think we’ll stick to the hair dryer after hearing this…

‘The more conditioner, the better.’

The truth: Less is more ladies! When you use excessive amounts of hair product, your hair can begin to look weighed down, lifeless and quite frankly dull. Always use your hair products in moderation, no matter how good it feels to whack loads of conditioner on. Don’t skip on conditioner though, even if you have finer hair, conditioner should be used every time you wash your hair. While shampoo opens the hair cuticle for a good clean, conditioner acts as a seal, locking in those nutrients. In terms of how much conditioner, you should be using a coin-sized dollop of conditioner and apply it evenly through your mid-lengths and tips of your hair.  

There you have it, a full-on debunking session of hair myths. Whether it's the frequency of washing, the magical self-cleaning notion, the trim-for-growth myth, or the fear of plucking that one grey hair, we've got the facts straight. Brushing your hair 100 times a day for healthier locks is straight out of a fairy-tale, and rinsing with cold water will not guarantee shinier strands. So, let's navigate the haircare realm armed with the truth, ensuring our locks stay luscious and our scalps remain blissfully myth-free. Let's keep our hair myths in check and embrace the science of stunning strands!