I think it’s time that I bust some myths that we have heard growing up, and even seen around the Internet, on achieving and maintaining healthier hair. If you hear or read something often enough, you tend to believe it’s true and that itself can be more damaging in the longer run. One should always carry out some research and determine for themselves what the truth is, rather than going on hearsay.

Myth # 1: “Change your

shampoo brand every so often

– it’s good for your hair.”

THE TRUTH: There is no proven connection between bad hair and the repetitive use of a particular brand of shampoo. It is important to use a shampoo best suited to your hair type (colored, fine, dry, etc.)

If you feel it suits your hair, then by all means, please continue using it! You know the saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”? You’re better off listening to that rather than this particular myth! However, certain physiological changes (pregnancy, menopause, stress, etc.) can affect the texture of your hair and if that is the case, change your shampoo according to the change in your hair texture.

Myth # 2: “Frequently trimming your hair makes it grow faster.”

THE TRUTH: While getting your hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks is great for maintaining the health of your hair and preventing damage, it definitely will not make your hair grow faster.

You know how they say that shaving increases the rate of hair growth? That’s also similarly untrue. Point to be noted here is that hair grows from the roots – not from the tips.

Myth # 3: “If you pluck out one gray hair, two or three will appear in its place.”

THE TRUTH: I can’t vouch for the authenticity of this fact, however, I can confidently state that taking out gray hair will not make more grow in its place and neither will it make the hair in the surrounding area gray.

According to a ‘fact’ I read on the Internet, 9 out of 10 people still believe this myth.It is advised to cut the hair because plucking it may (in some cases) cause scalp irritation which can be harmful to the hair follicle. If you sprout more gray hair after having plucked one out, your genetics or other predetermined factors are to be blamed, and not the act of plucking itself.

Myth #4: “Always comb your hair from top to bottom.”

Truth: Combing hair from top to bottom is the worst thing you can do for your hair once you get out of the shower.

Combing your hair when it’s wet can cause relatively more breakage, so one should just avoid combing wet hair at the first place. The most recommended way of combing your hair is to start at the ends and work your way up – and use a wide-toothed comb instead of a brush. Also, it is more advisable to brush your hair before you get into shower to detangle your ends.

Myth #5: “Using gel will make you go bald”

Truth: This is every gel-using man’s worst nightmare, and unfortunately, it’s something they get to hear a lot. The good news is that it’s completely untrue!

Although if you use low-quality hair products, you’re not doing your hair any favors as your hair texture may get damaged, causing your hair to dry out – but rest assured, it will definitely not make you go bald. Baldness is due to genetics and other related factors.