You have a college degree and a pretty sound knowledge of the arts, and your reading list is second to none. And yet, you still believe that plucking a gray hair will make three more grow in its place. Sound familiar? Yep, there are some beauty myths and legends that are just hard to shake.
From getting spots through eating chocolate to never shaving your legs for fear of growing coarse hairs, the myths ahead defy the laws of logic. And most of them are total lies (although, there are a few exceptions). To prove it, we've tracked down London's top beauty experts to get the skinny on precisely these belief systems. It's time to just say no, people.
Hair myths
"If I pull a gray hair out, three more will grow in its place."
When you actually think about it, it is almost unbelievable that this wives' tale is still doing the rounds. For once and for all, it is just not true. As celebrity and royal (Kate Middleton is a client) hairdresser Richard Ward explains: "This isn’t true – only one hair can grow out of each hair bulb, but once you start graying it may just seem that way." Philip Kingsley, the U.K's leading trichologist, also agrees. "When your hair begins to go gray and you pull one out, the chances are that the hair next to it is ready to grow out white, so you may think that pulling one out will make two grow," he says. "Also, the placement of where your hair goes gray can vary and there are no specific reasons as to why. However, it is usually genetic." Sobering stuff.
The solution: Clairol Nice N' Easy Non-Permanent Range, £4.07, available at Superdrug, doesn't contain any ammonia, meaning that you can blend away the first signs of gray in an instant and the colour will slowly fade away after 24 washes. Pure genius.
"You can repair split ends."
There are so many hair care products on the market that it is easy to believe that a trip to the chemist will deliver an instant solution to dry, brittle split ends. We don't how to break this to you, but it just isn't true. Ward explains: "If hair is splitting, it needs to be cut off immediately, before it has the chance to spread and split further up the weakened hair shaft. A good stylist will know how much to take off, but for a safety measure, best to trim one inch clear of the splitting area. Once trimmed off, a course of intense conditioning treatments should follow."
The solution: Book a trim every six to eight weeks. In between appointments, try using Richard Ward Couture Hair Wheat Nutrient Masque, £22.50, available at QVC, once a week to keep hair feeling smooth and supple. Or, if your hair feels like it needs a full M.O.T. before a trip to the hairdresser, we swear by Philip Kingsley Pre-Shampoo Elasticizer Treatment, £27.50, available at Philip Kingsley, which leaves frazzled hair feeling like spun silk. Seriously transformative.
"Washing your hair every day makes it greasier."
You know that feeling: Your freshly washed hair starts to feel a little less squeaky-clean come the afternoon. Is it a case of you running your fingers through your hair too much, or are you doing something wrong? Philip Kingsley sheds some light on how this belief came into existence: "This may have come about because when clean hair (freshly washed) becomes a little oily, which is natural, you notice it more. When it becomes dirtier and oilier, a little extra oil is not noticed." But, is it actually becoming greasier, and does it really matter in terms of the health of the hair? Dr. Joe Cincotta, a cosmetics chemist at Color Wow, says, "Washing hair every day typically dries out the hair — especially if you don't use sulfate free shampoos. Perhaps the greasiness comes from using shampoos that contain silicones that stick to hair and build up causing greasiness."
The solution: If you do feel that you hair is feeling greasy straight after you've washed it, check your shampoo to see if it contains silicones. They can make hair feel a little on the greasy side. Or switch to a sulphate-free formula like Color Wow Color Security Shampoo, £16.50, available at Space NK, to see if that actually makes a difference.
"Cutting your hair will make it grow faster."
This little homily may have originated in the hairdressers' chair, but is there any proof that regular cuts (while fabulous for split ends) are actually going to speed up the growth of our hair? Well, no, actually. The Creative Director of Hari's Salons, Craig Taylor explains: "It doesn’t have an effect. This is an absolute myth – hair has a growth cycle, growing resting and shedding within the body’s natural working system." Meanwhile, JOICO European Design Team Member Kate Cunningham suggests, "Frequent trims will leave your hair in the healthiest condition, enabling it to grow as quickly as it possibly can. It won’t, however, speed up the growing time."
The solution: Taylor suggestions that if a person really wants to grow their hair quickly, she needs to look at what she's putting into her body from a nutrition POV. "Only nutrition can make hair grow faster," he says. "Viviscal is a fantastic product which is taken orally." Viviscal Maximum Strength Hair Growth Programme, £89.96, available at Amazon.
"Changing your shampoo brand regularly is good for your hair."
This myth could be connected to one's continued FOMO anxiety, but somehow there is this tacit understanding that every couple of months, one will change the hair and conditioning range so that our scalps and locks can "have a bit of change." As if it were physiologically possible for a scalp to have an emotional response to the product that it was being treated with! But, like all good beauty myths, there is a small grain of truth to it. "Changing shampoo once in while is a good idea," Taylor says. "Hair can get a build-up of product over time, so once every two to three months, think about changing the brand." But, what ingredient in our shampoos could be causing this? Silicones, says Kate Cunningham. "They are notorious for creating a barrier around the hair shaft. They instantly make the hair appear glossy and frizz-free, but when used over time they can contribute to scalp complaints and eventually dull the hair, which is why it’s good to use a 'detox' shampoo from time to time." Just don't use them daily if you have coloured hair, as they can strip your hue.
From getting spots through eating chocolate to never shaving your legs for fear of growing coarse hairs, the myths ahead defy the laws of logic. And most of them are total lies (although, there are a few exceptions). To prove it, we've tracked down London's top beauty experts to get the skinny on precisely these belief systems. It's time to just say no, people.
Hair myths
"If I pull a gray hair out, three more will grow in its place."
When you actually think about it, it is almost unbelievable that this wives' tale is still doing the rounds. For once and for all, it is just not true. As celebrity and royal (Kate Middleton is a client) hairdresser Richard Ward explains: "This isn’t true – only one hair can grow out of each hair bulb, but once you start graying it may just seem that way." Philip Kingsley, the U.K's leading trichologist, also agrees. "When your hair begins to go gray and you pull one out, the chances are that the hair next to it is ready to grow out white, so you may think that pulling one out will make two grow," he says. "Also, the placement of where your hair goes gray can vary and there are no specific reasons as to why. However, it is usually genetic." Sobering stuff.
The solution: Clairol Nice N' Easy Non-Permanent Range, £4.07, available at Superdrug, doesn't contain any ammonia, meaning that you can blend away the first signs of gray in an instant and the colour will slowly fade away after 24 washes. Pure genius.
"You can repair split ends."
There are so many hair care products on the market that it is easy to believe that a trip to the chemist will deliver an instant solution to dry, brittle split ends. We don't how to break this to you, but it just isn't true. Ward explains: "If hair is splitting, it needs to be cut off immediately, before it has the chance to spread and split further up the weakened hair shaft. A good stylist will know how much to take off, but for a safety measure, best to trim one inch clear of the splitting area. Once trimmed off, a course of intense conditioning treatments should follow."
The solution: Book a trim every six to eight weeks. In between appointments, try using Richard Ward Couture Hair Wheat Nutrient Masque, £22.50, available at QVC, once a week to keep hair feeling smooth and supple. Or, if your hair feels like it needs a full M.O.T. before a trip to the hairdresser, we swear by Philip Kingsley Pre-Shampoo Elasticizer Treatment, £27.50, available at Philip Kingsley, which leaves frazzled hair feeling like spun silk. Seriously transformative.
"Washing your hair every day makes it greasier."
You know that feeling: Your freshly washed hair starts to feel a little less squeaky-clean come the afternoon. Is it a case of you running your fingers through your hair too much, or are you doing something wrong? Philip Kingsley sheds some light on how this belief came into existence: "This may have come about because when clean hair (freshly washed) becomes a little oily, which is natural, you notice it more. When it becomes dirtier and oilier, a little extra oil is not noticed." But, is it actually becoming greasier, and does it really matter in terms of the health of the hair? Dr. Joe Cincotta, a cosmetics chemist at Color Wow, says, "Washing hair every day typically dries out the hair — especially if you don't use sulfate free shampoos. Perhaps the greasiness comes from using shampoos that contain silicones that stick to hair and build up causing greasiness."
The solution: If you do feel that you hair is feeling greasy straight after you've washed it, check your shampoo to see if it contains silicones. They can make hair feel a little on the greasy side. Or switch to a sulphate-free formula like Color Wow Color Security Shampoo, £16.50, available at Space NK, to see if that actually makes a difference.
"Cutting your hair will make it grow faster."
This little homily may have originated in the hairdressers' chair, but is there any proof that regular cuts (while fabulous for split ends) are actually going to speed up the growth of our hair? Well, no, actually. The Creative Director of Hari's Salons, Craig Taylor explains: "It doesn’t have an effect. This is an absolute myth – hair has a growth cycle, growing resting and shedding within the body’s natural working system." Meanwhile, JOICO European Design Team Member Kate Cunningham suggests, "Frequent trims will leave your hair in the healthiest condition, enabling it to grow as quickly as it possibly can. It won’t, however, speed up the growing time."
The solution: Taylor suggestions that if a person really wants to grow their hair quickly, she needs to look at what she's putting into her body from a nutrition POV. "Only nutrition can make hair grow faster," he says. "Viviscal is a fantastic product which is taken orally." Viviscal Maximum Strength Hair Growth Programme, £89.96, available at Amazon.
"Changing your shampoo brand regularly is good for your hair."
This myth could be connected to one's continued FOMO anxiety, but somehow there is this tacit understanding that every couple of months, one will change the hair and conditioning range so that our scalps and locks can "have a bit of change." As if it were physiologically possible for a scalp to have an emotional response to the product that it was being treated with! But, like all good beauty myths, there is a small grain of truth to it. "Changing shampoo once in while is a good idea," Taylor says. "Hair can get a build-up of product over time, so once every two to three months, think about changing the brand." But, what ingredient in our shampoos could be causing this? Silicones, says Kate Cunningham. "They are notorious for creating a barrier around the hair shaft. They instantly make the hair appear glossy and frizz-free, but when used over time they can contribute to scalp complaints and eventually dull the hair, which is why it’s good to use a 'detox' shampoo from time to time." Just don't use them daily if you have coloured hair, as they can strip your hue.
