No matter what kind of hair you have, we set the record straight for you by busting some common hair myths.
What should you really believe when it comes to the many hair -care anecdotes and old wives' tales that are available to us in abundance? Our hair experts debunk some hair care myths for you. As it turns out, some myths aren't true after all.
Trimming your hair will make it longer: "Hair grows upto half an inch a month whether you cut it or not. Having frequent haircuts thinking it will grow out faster is a common myth, which is unfortunately, not true," says hair expert Rhea Soans. While regular trims may help your hair stay healthy and encourage stronger, healthier hair, it doesn't make any difference to the pace at which it grows. Experts, however, do advice trimming of hair occasionally as it facilitates strong, luscious hair.
Wash your hair every day: Washing your hair twice a week or incase it's dirty is important. However, regular hair washing will remove all your natural hair oils and proteins. This will lead to dry, frizzed out hair. "Using excessive products and chemicals on your hair can be harmful. Use a herbal shampoo if you are in the habit of washing your hair regularly," says Dr Apratim Goel. Rigorous shampooing should be avoided. However, washing hair once or twice during the week or thrice during the summers is advised.
Colouring leads to graying: Colouring does not make your hair gray, nor does it aggravate an existing gray hair problem. Colouring hair affects what is visible to the eye and not what is deep-rooted or below the hair skin. Hence, if the hair below the skin is black, it will not undergo any change whatsoever. Even if hair colour is slapped on your scalp, rest assured, it cannot in anyway enter the roots of your hair and change its colour.
Using a shampoo bottled with a conditioner is good for your hair: False. If hair experts and studies are to be believed, using a shampoo that is bottled together with a conditioner does nothing to the hair but only cleanses it like how a detergent would clean clothes! Says Soans, "Both shampoo and conditioner serve extremely different purposes. While shampoo foam opens the cuticles and cleanses the hair, allowing the dirt to wash away, the conditioner shuts the cuticles. It smoothens the cuticles, thus allowing the hair to be nourished."
Henna is a good conditioner for hair: "Henna that is available in shops generally has chemicals mixed in it, in order to give a deeper hair colour. Such henna, if used regularly, can make your hair very fragile and brittle, making it lose its natural texture," says hair and beauty expert, Poonam Shah. If you are, however, a fan of henna, use its leaves in the natural form. Grind the leaves at home and apply it on your hair. This could be a good conditioner.
BDST: 1709 HRS, JULY-10, 2014
