Anyone who has experienced a clogged drain would say that hair loss has become a norm in their daily routine. Losing strands of hair everyday can be normal to some but if you find yourself pulling out more than a handful of strands as you run your fingers through your hair, then there might be something wrong with your haircare routine.
On average, a normal person would shed up to 100 strands of hair from brushing, shampooing and normal breakage. However, there are other factors to consider if you’re losing more hair than you usually would. Is it because you’re washing it too often? Or is it because of your incessant habit of indulging in too many instant noodles for supper? Whatever the case is, we interviewed Tien Goh, Education Manager at Shiseido Professional to debunk these popular myths on hair loss.
MYTH #1: Washing and combing hair too often will cause hair loss
Believe it or not, it’s actually the lack of shampooing in your routine that leads to hair loss.
At first, you might think that you’re doing your hair and yourself a favour by washing it on alternate days, but the truth is, you might be causing more harm than good to your tresses. Tien Goh says “the hair that we shed during our daily shampooing and brushing is hair that has already transited from ‘ANAGEN’ state (growth phase) to ‘TELOGEN’ (falling out phase). Hence, the hair that we shed during brushing is hair that has stopped growing and are meant to fall out. After which it repeats a new hair growth cycle.”
Therefore, by washing it daily, you’re actually removing excess sebum build-up and dead skin cells that might clog up pores — leading to an inflammation on the scalp.
MYTH #2: Eating too many instant noodles and consuming MSG-laden food will lead to hair loss
We can’t help but agree that instant noodles hold a special place in our hearts, for being such am easy and hassle-free option to satisfy your hunger pangs during those late-night Netflix binges. The concern though is that having too much of it may contribute to your hair loss problems.
Good news here — instant noodles and MSG, on their own, do not lead to hair loss. However, Tien says that “an imbalanced diet with a lack of protein, iron and vitamins do contribute to hair loss.” This is mainly because of the lack of nourishment from our food which affects the nutrients supplied to our blood, hence retarding hair growth.
MYTH #3: Plucking grey hair causes more grey hair to grow
This myth has been passed on by generations with many believing that one should refrain from plucking out your grey hairs in fear of spurring the growth of more grey hairs. But that old myth has been busted.
Truth is: the grey hair that you have been pulling out might actually be from a cluster of grey hair. Tien advises that “it’s not recommended to pluck any of these grey hairs as it damages the follicle which might terminate the hair growth forever and over time, a bald spot might develop.”
MYTH #4: You should not wash your hair everyday
A lot of times you come across many claiming that there isn’t a need to wash your hair everyday. The fact of the matter is, if you’re staying in a hot and humid climate like Singapore, shampooing your hair daily is essential.
Think of your scalp as your face — we wash our faces daily to remove impurities, sebum and dirt particles — which can also be found on our scalp too. Now, you may be worried about drying out your scalp from washing it everyday but you can definitely opt for a gentle cleansing shampoo that’s close to your natural skin’s pH before following it up with a scalp conditioner or a leave-in serum to hydrate your scalp.
MYTH #5: You don’t have to invest in scalp hair treatments for a healthy bed of hair
Splurging on a hair treatment might not be the most wallet-friendly option especially if you’re doing it really often. However, setting aside some time and money on a good scalp treatment will benefit you in the long-term as it removes any buildup on the scalp while promoting hair growth. Tien advises that “a monthly scalp treatment at a salon is highly recommended to maintain it at a healthy condition,” like the Scalp Spa treatments available at SUBLIMIC Salons.
MYTH #6: It’s okay to brush your hair while it’s wet
If you didn’t already know, combing your hair while it’s wet, whether it’s with a brush or a wide-toothed comb, can lead to more breakage. Tien says, “the hair is more elastic and prone to damage when it is in a wet state, therefore we should be more gentle when combing it wet.”
However, if you’re one who regularly experiences badly tangled hair because of your long locks, it’s advised to “start combing or brushing from the ends and slowly move the comb or brush in an upwards direction towards the scalp. A bottom–up direction will greatly prevent breakage during combing.” It’s also important to note that one should “never comb her hair starting from the scalp and try to tug your way through to the end. This is because the method will create more tangles on the hair ends.”
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