If you're beginning to experience hair loss, it can be a cause of great concern, and it's understandable that you'll do whatever you can to stop or reverse the process. One of the first things people losing their hair often do is research. They talk to friends and family, read books and go online to have their questions answered.
What's Fact and What's Fiction?
Some of the information you find (particularly on the internet) is simply inaccurate. The problem for you is being able to distinguish between fact and fiction, and the first thing you need to do is be aware that there are myths about hair loss.
Some of those myths, however, are more common (and for that reason more insidious) than others. Here then are 5 of the most pervasive myths about hair loss that, unfortunately, far too many people still believe:
1. Excessive Stress or Worrying Will Cause Hair Loss
Although it's true that there have been instances of people losing hair as the result of a personal tragedy (for example, being involved in a terrible vehicular accident), those situations are extremely rare. In general, people who tend to have more anxiety or are constant worriers are no more likely to lose their hair than those who never worry at all. This myth is especially troubling because it can put someone in a vicious cycle: they believe their worrying is making their hair fall out, which makes them worry even more.
2. There Are Products You Can Buy to Prevent Hair Loss
There aren't. Hair loss is caused when a chemical in the body (dihydrotestosterone) causes your hair to grow for shorter periods of time. At some point, more hair is falling out (this is a normal process) than growing, so you have less and less hair—and the hair you do have tends to be weaker. There's nothing you can do to change this chemical reaction or jump start the process.
Unfortunately, this particular myth has created an entire cottage industry of products which claim to prevent your hair from falling out. Don't believe them. The best thing you can do if you notice hair loss is consult professionals who can recommend an appropriate course of treatment.
3. If the Men on Your Mother's Side of the Family Are Bald, You Will Be, Too
This is perhaps the most common myth about hair loss, one which millions of people still believe. It's simply not true. There is a hereditary component to hair loss, but it doesn't come from just one side of your family. It's the combination of what you inherit from both your father and your mother.
It's also not true that hair loss on either your mother's or father's side of the family means that you're destined to lose your hair. Just look at families in which the father has lost his hair: one of his son's might also lose his, but another keeps a full head of hair his entire life.
4. Pulling Out Grey Hairs Will Cause New Hair to Grow
This is an old wives' tale. The notion is that pulling out one grey hair will cause three new ones to grow in its place. In fact, pulling out your hair, whether it's grey or not, can actually worsen the problem of hair loss. It can, for example, lead to a condition called "traction alopecia," in which you inadvertently damage your hair follicles so much they stop producing hair.
5. If You Wear Baseball Caps Too Much, You'll Lose Your Hair
It's difficult to know where this myth got its start (possibly in a ballpark somewhere), but it's not true. Although some things you do to your hair can cause traction alopecia (for example, continually pulling it into tight ponytails, or pulling it out as noted above), wearing a baseball cap isn't one of them.
Solutions
If you're experiencing hair loss, believing everything you read on the internet or getting advice from friends without proper training can do more harm than good. You have a right to be concerned, but that also means you have the right to a smart solution, one which comes from hair loss professionals who've dedicated their lives to solving problems like yours and have the facts on their side.
If you are concerned about hair loss and want to speak with hair loss professionals who can give you the advice and guidance you need, contact us today.
