These days, there are a lot of tips, tricks, and facts about hair care floating around. Everyone seems to be an expert! It can be overwhelming, especially when you just want to do what is best for your hair!
Beware of false information or bad advice.
At Beautify Salon and Spa, we care about you and the health of your hair. We also have a team of dedicated, passionate, and educated stylists who have pinpointed some common hair care tips that are actually false!
Let’s squash 5 common myths about hair care right here and now!
#1 CUTTING YOUR HAIR MAKES IT GROW MORE QUICKLY
We’ve all heard this one, right? When you are having a difficult time getting your hair to grow out, someone always seems to recommend a good trim. They swear it will help your hair grow faster and longer.
But have they ever explained the science behind that? How can cutting your hair shorter help it grow faster?
MYTH: The truth is, it DOESN’T!!
This myth has succeeded as an optical illusion. When people get their hair cut or trimmed, it looks shorter, tidier, and fresh. As the days and weeks go on, our hair starts to grow back out (obviously).
As the even cut starts to fade and grow out, we are more aware of the change than we would be if we had not cut our hair at all! And the truth is, your hair isn’t growing longer faster, it’s just growing how it usually does, at the same speed.
Disappointing right?
Well look on the bright side; at least getting a trim eliminates split ends! While cutting your hair short won’t make it grow longer, faster, we DO recommend that you get your hair trimmed at least once every 6 weeks.
This will help maintain hair health and keep split ends under control. You can also help prevent split ends by using a leave-in conditioner on your ends.
#2 IF YOU PLUCK A WHITE HAIR, TWO MORE WILL GROWN IN ITS PLACE
Chances are, if you’ve ever had a gray, white, or pigment-less strand of hair, you have tried plucking or pulling it out at some point to fight the battle against aging. And there is always someone nearby to quickly point out how bad it is to do this saying, “OMG don’t do that, don’t you know two more will grow back in its place?!?”.
Lucky for all of us, this is FALSE!
Each hair follicle can only handle growing one hair at a time. Therefore, if you pluck one hair, only one will grow back in its place! It’s science, people!
If you notice more gray hairs growing around the area after plucking, it is simply due to the natural process of aging (yeah, not the answer any of us wanted to hear, right?).
You may just notice more gray around the area that you plucked because you are hyper-aware of that area in particular. When in reality, all pigmented cells will eventually die and start producing more gray hair over time. Don’t fight it, folks, embrace it!
The only way to stop gray hairs from taking over your head is by safely dying it. If you aren’t ready to embrace the inevitable and want to keep each strand colorful, please give us a call at Beautify Salon and Spa. Our stylists would be happy to color those grays and keep you looking younger, longer.
#3 DYING HAIR KILLS IT
We know what you’re thinking. This is an ACTUAL fact, right? We all have that friend who shows us their hair, complaining that it is “fried” from getting dyed. Perhaps we have done this to ourselves!
However, what people don’t realize is that it isn’t exactly the dyes and chemicals that kill our hair. It is actually HOW we are doing it that can damage it!
Hair can handle chemicals and dyes to a certain degree. However, like with anything in life, moderation is key. If you overuse chemicals, dye too often, or don’t properly care for your colored hair, it WILL get damaged. Not because you colored it, but because you did too much at once, or didn’t do it correctly.
Box dyes are not recommended, because they aren’t formulated for your specific hair type. Hairstylists who don’t have a lot of experience may also damage your hair with improper techniques.
It is highly recommended that you find a stylist who understands your unique hair type, and strength. A professional will never put your hair through something it cannot handle.
If you are looking for a dramatic change in color (from dark to light or vice versa), be patient. It will take a few sessions spread out over days or weeks to get the best results without damaging your hair.
Find yourself an experienced stylist who knows what products will work best on your hair, and trust the process! Our stylists at Beautify Salon and Spa are experts at hair color, and we can get you where you want to be without ruining your hair.
You can also help treat colored hair with conditioning products, and by practicing good hair care techniques:
- Don’t over wash your hair, as this will strip it even more.
- Use leave-in conditioners, and treatments before styling with heated products.
If you aren’t sure what products are right for you, feel free to ask one of our stylists for advice!
#4 SPLIT ENDS CAN BE MENDED
Have you heard this one before? Some people believe that split ends can be fused back together with treatments or masks. While moisturizing your ends and treating them can make them seem less brittle or dry, it cannot fix split ends.
The science behind this bust starts at the root of the hair, beneath the skin’s surface. The cells of the hair here bond together to form a protein called Keratin (what hair is made of). However, once the hair reaches the surface of the skin, those cells die and are not alive anymore.
Yes….your hair is just dead cells.
Since the cells at the end of your hair are the oldest (and the deadest, if that’s a word), split ends cannot heal themselves any more than a dead plant can heal itself (there’s the plant analogy again).
So unless you have microscopic superglues that can hold a split end together, they will never truly mend. The best way to treat split ends is to get your hair trimmed regularly to avoid split ends from spreading up the hair follicle even more.
#5 IF YOU WANT YOUR HAIR TO GROW FASTER, PULL IT BACK
We aren’t sure where this rumor originated. Probably from someone who watched too many cartoons growing up.
But the truth is, if you want your hair to grow faster, you’ll need to wait… or get a time machine.
Hair can only grow about ½ inch per month, or 6 inches per year (on average). While each person is different, it still doesn’t change the fact that our hair growth rate has a speed limit.
To say that you can make hair grow faster by pulling it back, would be just like saying you can make a plant grow faster by pulling it from the ground. It just isn’t scientifically possible.
In fact, the harder you tug on your hair, or the tighter it is pulled back, the more damage you do to the hair follicle. This, in turn, can affect hair growth negatively.
If you want your hair to grow long and strong, nurture it. Like a plant, give it time and love.
There are products you can use to help your hair grow stronger so that it stays long longer! Consult our stylists at Beautify Salon and Spa if you’d like to know how to help your hair grow long and maintain it the right way.
LET BEAUTIFY SALON HELP!
We hope that these myth busts have been an eye opener for you. Now that you know the truth, go forth and spread the word so that your friends and family do not continue living in a lie!
At Beautify Salon and Spa, we want you to be happy, healthy and educated when it comes to hair care and maintenance.
If you feel that we are mistaken about any of these myths, please do some in-depth research for yourself to discoverthe truth. The internet is full of amazing resources-use it! But beware of false information.
At Beautify Salon and Spa in Henderson, we are happy to consult with you about your hair care needs and goals. Trust us to help you reach them in the safest and most scientifically proven ways possible!