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The beauty industry has always run on a system of identifying opportunities to address concerns and remedy aspects of appearance. The way information about what is and isn’t useful has been distributed differently throughout history.
Excitement is transferable, and people who want solutions are never more pleased than when someone’s got an answer. Thankfully, opinion has nothing on science. Hence: the birth of facts and myths in the world of hair care.
1. Myth: You Can Repair Split Ends
I know, cue a moment of silence for all of the serums, shampoos, conditioners, and who knows what on the shelves designed to “repair split ends.” The truth of the matter is, if the goal of repairing split ends is to maintain the length of your hair, these types of products might help you to reach it. But the confusion is in the concept of “repairing.” A strand tip that has been split cannot be resealed or fixed.
While these products may help to stick split ends together, this is only a temporary solution to hair length. Science says that hair growth happens at the follicle. Therefore the ends are irrelevant to the process of growth. The way that your hair grows is genetic, though it may be influenced. Products may help prevent breakage that keeps hair from growing, but it will not force it to grow.
2. Fact: 10 Percent of Your Follicles Are “Resting”
Hair does many incredible things, it insulates the brain, protects us from the sun, and for some people—it can hold a curl. The way that it grows is among its fascinating capabilities. It goes through a series of stages (anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen).
During the telogen phase, which typically lasts for three months, ten percent of the hair on your heads halts its growth process and rests while new hair generates.
3. Myth: Cutting Your Hair Makes It Grow Faster
Similarly to the confusion about fixing split ends, treating the ends of your hair will not have an impact on its ability to grow. Instead, it will prevent breakage from traveling up the stands and weakening them to the point of total damage.
So next time your stylist insists you need to come in, even though your hair is healthy, let them know.
4. Fact: The Sum of Your Hairs Capacity to Hold Weight Could Add Up to 2 Elephants
Another astonishing thing your hair can do is its capacity to hold weight. It’s meant to bend, and its strength pound-for-pound can be compared to that of the materials that make bulletproof vests. Hair can support up to 100 grams of weight.
If an average head of hair has about 100,000 strands, the sum is the approximate weight of two elephants.
5. Myth: Sleeping with Your Hair Up is Bad
The fate of our hair, depending on our overnight practices, has been a heavily discussed thing. Some people are particular about not sleeping with their hair wet, which isn’t a myth. Others think you should only sleep with your hair down. Those who believe sleeping with your hair up is a bad thing aren’t entirely wrong as tight hairstyles that pull at the roots are no good.
But in actuality, sleeping with your hair tied or wrapped can help to prevent breakage that comes with the twisting and pressing of strands during sleep.
6. Fact: Hair Can Reveal A Lot of Personal Information, Except Gender
A test of a single follicle of hair on your head can make light of some complicated information. It can reveal toxins in your body, diagnose genetic disorders, and reveal a history of drug use. It may also be used to determine if genetics are a match. Hair follicles are a valuable tool for forensics for these reasons.
Yet, though we know the hair on men and women are different— it turns out our hair follicles are identical when it comes to gender. There is no way to tell gender by hair sample.
Well, there you have it, the truth about these myths, and the reality of these facts. Remember that no matter what anyone says—your hair is unique and what works for you might not always be what works for everyone else.
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