10 Super Common Hair Myths (You Should Never Believe)

Let’s talk about some extremely common hair myths that might not necessarily be true…

It’s kinda crazy to think about just how fast information can spread in today’s world.

If a single piece of information is found to be somewhat credible, it quickly gains traction, and everyone spreads it around like wildfire.

Pretty soon, the entire world believes something that isn’t true. #FakeNews

That being said, there are a ton of beauty and hair myths that are commonly believed even though they aren’t necessarily true. 

Let’s debunk a few of them, shall we?

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10 Hair Myths Debunked:

Myth #1: Cutting your hair makes it grow faster

I’ve explained this concept a lot on this blog and will continue to do so as it’s so often misconceived.

Here’s how it works… hair grows out of the follicle. Therefore, cutting it has absolutely nothing to do with it growing.

HOWEVER, cutting the split ends will prevent hair from breaking even higher up the hair shaft.

This can make the hair appear to grow faster since if the hair isn’t breaking, it’s technically getting longer.

The best analogy I’ve ever heard was to think of each hair strand like a piece of frayed rope. If you ignore it, the rope will continue to fray higher up the rope. If you cut off the frayed pieces and burn the end, the rope will stop breaking.

Hair is pretty much the same.

Myth #2: Certain hair products repair split ends

I’d really hate to be the bearer of bad news, but once a hair strand has split, there’s not much that can be done to fix it.

Hair product companies swear up and down that their products will mend those split ends, but science overrules them in this situation.

Like I previously mentioned, you can cut them off to prevent further hair damage, but nothing in the entire world will fully repair it.

You can also try Olaplex No. 3, which does mend broken bonds on the molecular level, preventing split ends from forming.

Myth #3: You should switch shampoos often

I like to change up my hair products… but only because I like to try new things.

But the fact that you must change your shampoo often is another one of those hair myths you don’t need to believe. People tend to believe that shampoo loses its effectiveness over time, but that’s simply not true.

This myth likely stems from the fact that cheaper hair products can build up on the hair over time… causing dull, lifeless hair. The best way to combat this is to use higher-quality products or do a weekly clarifying treatment.

If you want to try something new, fine. But if you have a shampoo that you love, keep using it.

There is no evidence in the world to back up the myth about shampoo will losing potency over time.

Myth #4: Brushing your hair makes it healthier

Many people believe that you should brush your hair 100 times each day for healthy hair.

Although this might completely eliminate tangles, there’s really no benefit in doing this. In fact, it’s probably actually damaging your hair (especially if brushing while the hair is wet.)

Brushing can be pretty brutal; the bristles of the hairbrush will rip right through your tangles, causing instant breakage.

There are some benefits of scientific brushing with a natural bristle brush on your scalp… which stimulates the scalp and increases blood flow, but please be gentle.

Myth #5: Hair Color significantly damages your hair

While it’s true that bleach can significantly damage your hair, color does minimal damage when done correctly.

Some types of color use peroxide to raise the hair cuticle enough to allow color molecules to penetrate. However, it’s not a lot to cause major damage.

Here’s the thing… hair color typically uses a lower volume developer, which means that they don’t lift the cuticle much.

In fact, some types of color don’t even use developer, which doesn’t damage the hair at all.

If you’re absolutely clueless about hair color, just consult a professional. They’ll know what to do without causing damage.

Myth #6: Grey hair is caused by stress

You’ll hear people say things like, “I earned every single one of these grey hairs from my kids,” or “the president’s hair is a lot greyer now than it was when he got in office,” but these are just hair myths.

Grey hair is determined by genetics, and most people will go grey as they get older. In other words, he would have gone grey, whether he was in office or not.

Stress can definitely mess with your body, and it may shorten the life cycle of the hair strands. But it does not directly turn the hair grey.

Myth #7: You shouldn’t wash your hair every day

I typically don’t wash my hair every day, just because I don’t need to. But whether you wash it every day or not is really up to you.

Some people have to wash their hair every day to prevent greasy, unmanageable hair, while others can go multiple days without washing.

It’s really up to preference (pssst… dry shampoo works wonders in between washes.)

You’ll often hear that washing your hair dries it out, but that’s not necessarily true. Sulfate-free shampoos are super gentle on the hair, and following up with a conditioner will help keep it in shape.

If you like washing your hair every day, do it. If you don’t, then don’t.

Myth #8: Going outside with wet hair will make you sick

This is definitely one of the biggest hair myths around, and no doubt, you’ve heard it before. Your mom used to make sure your hair was completely dry before you walked outside in the morning so that you didn’t get sick… right?

Just remember that a virus causes the common cold. So unless someone coughs on you while your hair is wet, it won’t do much to get you sick.

The only real way that wet hair can affect your health is if it makes you so cold that you get hypothermia… in which case you would be more prone to infection.

Myth #9: Natural oils will protect your hair from chemicals

If you’re gonna bleach your hair, you’d better believe that the bleach will eat through the natural oils in your hair.

You don’t have to wash your hair before getting it colored… and you probably shouldn’t, since you’ll have to wash the color out anyways.

But it won’t hurt to color or bleach clean hair either.

Myth #10: Color lifts color

This is literally the biggest hair color misconception in the world… so common that I wrote an entire article about it: The Golden Rule of Lifting Hair Color.

I can’t go into all the details here, so if you want more information, please check out that article.

But just know that color will not lift previously colored hair. If you colored your hair dark brown and then put light brown over it, it will stay dark brown.

You have to first lighten out the color or let it grow out.

Confusing? Just read the article…

Final Thoughts

Not everything you hear is necessarily true; old wives’ tales spread around the internet like wildfire these days.

But after reading this guide, I’m confident that you’ll now be able to debunk some of the most commonly believed myths about hair.

Until next time,

Your Turn: What hair myths have you heard in the past? Did you believe any of these ones? Drop your thoughts in the comments section below!👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

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