Misinformation is dangerous. Whether you’re placing a bet on breaking the bank, or taking Google’s word that a strange pain in your left hamstring is likely to kill you, making conclusions based on a lie can have dangerous repercussions.

The same goes for your hair. Gladly accept any advice people give you — from washing your hair every day to never washing it again — and your hair may suffer. Don’t let your hair fall victim to these false claims; Follow this guide to tell the truth about fake news

Plucking gray hair makes more growth

A favorite of old wives’ tales, the thinking that forcibly yanking the first signs of aging out of your head will only speed up the process, rooted in the misconception that hair grows the same way a plant does.

“If you split the root of a plant, both stems may bloom, but plucking will do [no more],” says Ian Salis, MD, hair loss specialist and director of the Hairmedic Clinic. “If you simply break the hair at the scalp level — and not pluck the hair completely — it will still grow, but not in complications.”

Since gray hair usually means more is showing up, continuing to pluck it may not leave you with much to work with, either. If silver oozes on top, stop plucking and resolve to gray gracefully, or touch up problem areas with a dedicated dye.

Wearing a hat makes you bald

For the skull-based rooster-and-bull story to be a bit true, your hat would have to be tight enough to cut off circulation to the follicles, in which case you likely fainted too much to care.

But this convenient new snapback doesn’t come without risks. “Hats do not cause hair loss, but wearing them every day can lead to hair breakage and damage due to the constant stress on the strands,” says Chris Ward, owner of Huckle The Barber.

So while you’re free to shop this season’s selection of baseball caps, remember to give your head a break now and then, and make sure it sits on your skull and doesn’t suffocate it.

Dandruff is just a dry scalp

Do you think snow shoulders are caused by a thirsty scalp? Think again. One of the many embarrassing body problems men face, dandruff is often confused with dry scalp because the symptoms of the two conditions are similar — but not the same.

“Scientists believe that the cause of dandruff is a yeast imbalance in the skin,” says Salles. “We all have yeast on our scalps, but one in particular — known as Malassezia furfur — can multiply and trigger an inflammatory response in the skin. This causes the top layer of skin to break off intermittently, resulting in the white scales you see on your hair and clothes. “.

Dandruff will not be relieved by drinking more water and discarding cod liver oil capsules, so try a mild anti-fungal shampoo designed to eliminate accompanying symptoms and leave your scalp calm and refreshed.

Hair needs to be shampooed daily to keep it clean

In a world that is almost comically obsessed with cleanliness, you’d be forgiven for thinking your mop requires daily cleaning. But just like the industrial-sized bottle of hand sanitizer that your dyslexic colleague carries around, it may do more harm than good.

“Everyone’s hair generates oils at a different rate,” says Dennis Robinson, creative director of small barbershop chain Ruffians. “You should wash your hair when you feel it’s starting to turn greasy – for some people it can be daily, for others it can be up to a week.”

To soak up oil, impurities, and product buildup in no time, switch to dry shampoo. But don’t make this an everyday must because overuse can lead to scalp problems and even hair loss.

The more you cut your hair, the faster it will grow

There’s nothing wrong with a weekly visit to the barber (bank credit permitting) to keep the low fade look fresh. And the fear that doing so will lengthen your locks at a faster rate is simply BS.

“Hair is protein fibers,” says Salles. “Although the follicle that produces the fibers is alive, the hair itself is neither alive nor dead (to be dead, it must be alive in the first place) and therefore cannot be stimulated by anything, including cutting.”

The rate at which your hair grows is mostly determined by your genes, as well as lifestyle factors such as diet. If straw thinning is the problem, it is possible to give the illusion of thicker growth by using products that increase the size of the individual strands.

A cheap haircut is as good as expensive hair

Sure, in the same way, a sandwich bag is as good as an actual condom, and a back alley tattoo definitely won’t leave you with some Victorian ailment.

As with the last examples, there are a few things worth focusing on. A haircut is one of them. “It’s the old rule that you get what you pay for,” Ward says. “Some barbers will cost more because they probably spent more on education, on equipment, and everything fits well.”

Of course, there are exceptions. If the short military haircut is your weapon of choice, it is possible to do it yourself at home with a solid pair of hair clippers but consider making less frequent trips to the barber to professionally tidy up the neck and ear areas.

SUDSY lotion is the best wash

Blame marketing bodies, but there’s nothing fundamentally cleansing about foaming washes — we’ve been trained simply to think of shampoos and body washes that triple in size as particularly effective.

“The truth is, shampoo doesn’t need a lot of lather to get the job done,” Robinson says. If anything, shampoos full of sulfates (the chemicals that help them lather) can mess up your scalp if used too frequently, irritating and drying it out.

Instead of searching for lather, prioritize ingredients like panthenol, a vitamin that removes dirt while helping hair retain moisture, giving it a healthy look.

You can train your hair

Unlike your muscles, the way your hair grows cannot be honed. No matter how much you comb, blow-dry, or style what’s over your head, using brute force (and the entire value of the products a chemist has) won’t permanently change its type or look.

“When you sleep with wet hair, wake up and discover that it has been shaped into a strange shape, and it hasn’t changed your hair growth — it simply changed the shape of the hair shaft, not the direction the hair grows through the follicle,” Robinson says.

Hair styling products like pomade and hairspray can offer a temporary solution, helping to mold your mane into the shape you want, but because these can’t affect how your hair grows at the root level, their effects won’t usually play beyond the last wash.

Your mother made you bald

Your mom may stress you out, but a bald head or a receding hairline is one of the problems you can’t fixate on your dear mom.

“Contrary to popular belief, male pattern baldness is not an X-linked trait,” Robinson says. “It is thought to be caused by multiple genes inherited from both parents.”

There are other causes as well, such as stress, medication, or sensitivity to DHT – a byproduct of testosterone. If you’re concerned, see a doctor and ask if over-the-counter baldness treatments like finasteride or minoxidil are the answer.

Hair grows faster in the sun

Despite its drawbacks—increased photoaging, heat stress, and skin cancer—that big blob of radiation in the sky has its benefits, keeping you playing it safe. However, dramatic hair growth is not among them.

“A lot of guys choose a short haircut before hitting the beach because they’re worried it won’t last, but that’s not the case,” Ward says. “Hair grows faster in the sun due to the increased levels of vitamin D, but the difference over a short vacation will be minimal.”

1 This does not mean that you do not need to take care of your locks. Combined with chlorine and salt water, UV rays can damage the outer covering of the hair strand, called the cuticle, resulting in a dry look and feel. Arm yourself with a preventative treatment and follow up with an after-sun conditioner for a full beach barnett.