3 More Old Wives Tales We Seriously Need To Let Go Of With Regards To Hair

Old wives tales have been around for centuries. They are superstitions or traditional beliefs that are regarded as truths but many have been proven to be wrong. They were a part of our oral tradition passed down from our grandmothers to our moms and to us, so as such many have survived.

The old wives tales surrounding hair a particularly hard to get rid of because they are transferred from generation to generation so much so that everyone has heard them all, and well… we believe them.

Another fact is that some of these tales are strictly for black folks for black women. Oh yes, you and I both know it because they may deal directly with our kinky* and coily hair. Now, not all the ones listed deal with strictly us but they ones that do need to go away, and fast. There is at least one in there I will never get my mother to let go of and I mean never!

For example squeaky clean hair means NO oil but that is for straight-haired women and not for coily, curly or kinky* haired women. Shampooing your hair until it squeaks strips the hair shafts of necessary oils* and many naturals have done away with shampoo altogether or at the very least use shampoo without the harsh sulfates.

You will catch a cold if you go out with wet hair

This is an old wives tale that has been widely believed forever or at least it seems so and yes, this is the one my mother will never let go of. I am here to tell you that this is false but if your mother or even if you believed this one to be true you are in good company. A survey done found that 40% of mothers said they believed sending their kids out in the cold weather with a wet head would get them sick.

This Old Wives Tale is heavily associated with other Old Wives Tales around the common cold. Ones like, feed a cold, starve a fever (false) or skip dairy when sick (no medical proof and research shows this may be a placebo effect). It makes sense or at least it MADE sense at one time but once we find out otherwise these falsehoods need to die.

In a nutshell, going outside in the dead of winter or anytime for that matter with a wet head will give you a chill but not a cold. Colds are caused by viruses unless you are so cold that you get hypothermia, which could also make you susceptible to an infection, wet hair will not increase your vulnerability to a cold.

I live in Colorado and although we have pleasant weather most of the time, winters can be brutal. I am the wash and go queen year round so yes, I have gone out with a wet head almost everyday of the year. I also do not wear a hat unless it is under 20 degrees and I have yet to get a cold because of it.

Dandruff aids in hair growth

I heard this Old Wives Tale all my life and it started as a child. Where did I hear it? Not sure but it is just as absurd as it sounds. First of all let me discuss what dandruff actually is.

Dandruff is a condition of the scalp that causes flakes of skin to appear. Dandruff is a common condition, which is marked by itching. In some cases it can be embarrassing and not easy to treat.

Your hair strand grows from follicles about 1/8th of an inch beneath the surface of your skin. Hair growth is hormonal and nutrients found in your diet and supplements* support hair growth. Hair is comprised of Keratin (protein) and dead skin cells (that have been compressed to form Keratin) that have been forced along the follicle towards the scalp.

Now, how do the two interact to create growth? They do not. There is no scientific evidence that connects dandruff and the hair growth process.

If you are having either minimal or severe dandruff problems you may need to seek out a professional like a Dermatologist, a Trichologist or a Holistic practitioner.There are natural or OTC remedies but just allowing the dandruff to fester is not going to make your hair grow any faster than it already is.

Dirty hair grows faster than clean hair

Can I just say I really hate this one? This one does not make any sense any more than the other two as anything dirty means pollutants and in the case of hair product build-up and dirt. How can that make your hair grow? Never washing your hair is unsanitary and this may have come about because it is believed that black hair does not require the same frequency of cleansing as naturally straight hair.

What is true is that your hair cannot handle the harsh shampoos that some use daily so we try to minimize the use of shampoos, saving it for clarifying and also using essential oils* to protect our hair.

Washing once a week to twice a month (for some) should suffice and remember a clean scalp is a healthy scalp. The bottom line is that dirty hair does not grow any faster than clean hair…period.