Did your mother used to tell you that if you ate the crusts of your bread, your hair would grow curly? Or that brushing your hair 100 times would make it shine?

When it comes to hair, there are plenty of old wives’ tales doing the rounds, but is there any truth to them?  

Let’s have a look at a few and separate fact from fiction.

Myth: Brushing your hair 100 times will make it shine and grow more quickly  

Fact: Hair-related folklore promises extra bounce and shine if you brush it 100 times every day. But while it may have worked for Rapunzel, it won’t benefit your hair. In fact, extensive brushing causes more harm than good, causing hair breakage and split ends.

Brush your hair just enough to untangle it, using a wide-toothed comb or paddle brush with ball-tipped, plastic bristles. And be sure to clean the dead hair out of your brush or comb daily.

Myth: You should always brush your hair from the top, downward

Fact: Brushing from the crown of your head down to the ends is all good and well if you never suffer from tangles and knots. But for the majority of us that do, all that does is push the tangles further and further down your hair, making them bigger and more difficult to untangle.

Instead, work out the tangles at the bottom, then move up the hair and work on the next level of tangles. The move up again. This is a lot more effective and less painful.

Myth: Frequent trimming will make you hair grow faster

Fact: Although your new cut may make your hair appear fuller, it doesn’t change the fact that it grows from the roots rather than the tips. Chopping the ends off won’t have any effect other than making your hair shorter and tidier.

It’s a good idea to trim your hair regularly though, as it stops those pesky split ends from moving further up the hair shaft. 

Myth: If you always use the same shampoo, it will stop working

Fact: This is a skin myth that many people also mistakenly apply to their hair. After you use your favourite shampoo and conditioner for a while, you may feel like they aren’t giving you the same soft, silky locks as they did initially. But before you pour your shampoo and conditioner down the sink, know this: your products aren’t any less effective than they were the first time you used them. Your hair doesn’t build up a tolerance to any product. If it stops giving you the results you want, it’s because the condition and needs of your hair have changed. For instance, you may have had it cut, coloured, straightened or grown it longer. Or the season may have changed e.g. it’s more humid, the sun is stronger, or the air is dryer. Your state of health or hormone levels may also affect the condition of your hair. 

Myth: If you pluck one grey hair, two will grow in its place

Fact: There’s no harm in plucking a grey hair, but it also doesn’t do you much good. Firstly, you aren’t fooling your scalp when you pluck a grey strand: The follicle is still grey and will grow back that way.

However, you don’t need to worry that pulling out the grey hair will somehow summon more greys to magically appear. That’s a myth because what you do to one hair follicle doesn’t affect another.

However, regular plucking can damage the hair follicles to the point that they won’t produce hair at all, so it’s best to leave them alone and embrace your new colour.

Myth: Frequent shampooing makes your hair fall out

Fact: It’s natural to lose up to 100 hairs a day, and a percentage of these come out when you shampoo. The act of shampooing simply dislodges hairs that have already become detached from the follicle’s base.

In fact, frequent washing encourages healthy hair as it stimulates the scalp and creates a good environment for growth.

Have a massage!

So, that’s the truth behind a few of the hairy myths out there. But while you’re doing your utmost to keep your hair strong and healthy, don’t forget to do the same for your body. You can do this with one of our signature Thai massages. Call Castle Thai Spa