Myth: Wearing a hat causes hair loss
False! Many people worry that wearing hats will cut off the circulation or oxygen supply to their hair follicles and contribute to hair loss. However, there is no scientific research to suggest that this is the case. You would have to wear a hat so tightly for so many hours on end to threaten either of these things, that you would collapse long before your hair was affected!
Myth: Baldness is always inherited from your mother’s side
False! Heridary hair loss can come from your mother’s genes — but it can also be inherited from your father's side. Male pattern baldness and female pattern baldness are both genetic and can be inherited from either parent. Bear in mind that even if your parents show no sign of balding themselves, they may still carry the gene. Likewise, just because your parents suffer from hair loss, it is by no means inevitable that you will too!
Myth: A hair falling out with a white bulb attached means it won’t grow back
False! If you notice that some of your fallen hairs have a small white lump or bulb at the root, you shouldn’t worry. This does not mean that the root of your hair has been removed, or that the follicle is dead. This white bead is simply part of the hair follicle lining, which is similar to skin and, like your skin, is continuously being shed and replaced.
Myth: Women have more hair than men
False! In fact, the opposite is often true. In many cultures, women wear their hair longer than men — but men’s hair is capable of growing just as long. As for the number of hairs per head, a clinical study in the early 1990s established that the average number of hairs per square centimetre was 279 on women and 312 on men – about a 10% difference. But according to the same study, women’s hair does tend to be thicker.
Myth: Only men suffer hair loss
False! While hair loss is slightly less common in women than men, both can and do suffer from the condition. The most prolific types and causes of hair loss may differ between men and women, with telltale signs like a receding hairline being more typical with men and women more likely to experience more evenly spread thinning.
Myth: All hair loss is permanent
False! Depending on what is causing your hair loss, it is not necessarily irreversable. In some cases, such as male pattern baldness, loss is permanent. But in others, such as hair loss caused by stress, hormonal changes, illness or dietary problems, it is often only temporary.
Myth: Shampooing your hair too much can cause hair loss
False! There is no connection between how frequently you wash your hair and whether you experience hair loss. It’s understandable that it may seem as though shampooing causes hairs to fall out, as shower-time is the most common time we notice loss. However, that is because the hairs you catch when washing were already disconnected or falling out, and it’s just that the action of shampooing allows you to collect them all together.
If you are worried about any form of hair loss, our Clinics in London and New York specialise in all aspects of hair and scalp health, and will be happy to welcome you.