Fact Or Fiction: The Hair Edition

Fiction: only one hair can grow from a single follicle. But since the pigment cells are already dead (the reason you have a grey in the first place), the new hair that grows back will still be grey. Beware of plucking, though, as you can damage the follicle and cause infection.

Fiction: hair grows at the same rate – around half an inch every month - regardless of how often you cut it. This myth is based on the fact that hair grows thinner the closer you get to the tip, making short strands appear thicker and darker.

Fact: a study published in the bmj a decade ago demonstrated that smokers are almost 4 times more likely to have grey hair than non-smokers. Since premature ageing is a widely acknowledged consequence of smoking, grey hairs are simply part of the price you pay for lighting up.

Fiction: unless you’ve got male pattern baldness, chances are you’re going to lose around 100 hairs a day anyway. And that has nothing to do with your washing habits. Daily shampooing only helps remove the hairs that have already fallen out.

Fact: naturally blond or coloured hair can take on a green-ish hue not because of chlorine, but because of the copper content in the water that binds to the hair proteins.

Fiction: while many men believe that stress is turning them grey, studies have shown that the ‘overnight’ appearance greys is typically due to alopecia areata, a condition whereby thicker, darker hairs suddenly shed, leaving only greys (which, in turn, become more apparent).

Fiction: attempting to increase blood flow to your scalp by standing on your head won’t work as circulation has no impact on the growth cycles. And if you’ve actually tried doing this, you probably have bigger problems than hair loss.

Fiction: in the same way that hair gets thicker during childhood, it will also thin as you get older. This is due to the hormones that control bodily functions and hair texture. In some rare cases, straight hair can turn curly and vice versa!

Fiction: while baldness is hereditary, the actual gene in question can come from either parent. A quick glance at your dad’s scalp will usually give you a rough idea of how you’ll turn out.

Fiction: this isn’t strictly true. If you stop responding to your favourite brand, it’s probably because the hair has become overloaded with product and needs to be washed out with a good clarifying treatment. It’s always wise to have a couple of products on rotation to help prevent this.