The internet is full of “expert” advice for keeping your hair. Some of it is valid. The rest? Not so much. You might have seen these common myths about hair loss floating around, but we’re here to lay the facts bare. Here are seven common myths about hair loss:

  1. Wearing hats can cause hair loss. The logic here seems harmless – that frequent hat wearing can suffocate the scalp and therefore create hair loss (or constantly pull on the hair leading to thinning) – but these are completely bogus . Hair follicles get oxygen from your bloodstream, not the air, and hats don’t put enough tension on the hair follicles to damage them. So, wear all the hats your heart desires. It’s not going to cause hair loss anytime soon.
  2. Hair loss only affects men. Again, not true. Almost anyone can be affected. Although hair loss is more frequent in men, women can develop female pattern hair loss, which can be characterized by a generalized thinning or widening of the part.
  3. You can lose your hair if you shampoo too often. This claim is false. Almost all shampoos these days, even the least expensive ones, are PH-balanced and chemically mild, so shampooing frequently won’t do anything to increase hair loss. It may cause a drying of the hair, flaking of the scalp or an overproduction of oil, leading to the opposite of your intended effect, but you won’t lose any hair by lathering up.
  4. Hair loss is untreatable. The good news is that hair loss is not, in fact, untreatable. There are several different kinds of procedures that help people experiencing hair loss, ranging from micropigmentation to surgical FUT or FUE procedures.

    You can also opt for topical and oral treatments like ReVive, a range of specialized serums and capsules that support hair regrowth. The medications in these treatments have been shown by independent research to minimize hair loss and encourage regrowth of hair, resulting in increased hair density. All the serums are also alcohol-free, meaning that they are non-irritating and don’t dry the hair or scalp.
  5. Hair loss affects only older people. Anyone can experience hair loss, no matter what their age. For example, alopecia areata, a condition in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles and causes hair to fall out, can occur at any point in one’s lifetime. You may also experience male or female pattern baldness in your younger years based on genetic predisposition.
  6. Vitamins can help with hair loss. Not quite. Vitamin supplements won’t do much to spur hair regrowth, unfortunately. Except in cases of malnutrition, it is rare for a vitamin deficiency to be the cause of thinning hair. It’s recommended only to take vitamin supplements if you’re deficient in a certain nutrient, such as Vitamin B12 or Vitamin D.
  7. Baldness is caused by elevated testosterone levels. No need to worry – this one isn’t true, either. There’s no evidence that links high levels of testosterone to hair loss. While hair loss is due to dihydrotestosterone, a metabolite of testosterone, there isn’t a linear correlation between high testosterone and high levels of DHT. Therefore, patients with higher levels of testosterone, or using testosterone replacement therapy, don’t necessarily experience increased rates of hair loss.

Need more hair loss myths debunked? Contact us and we’ll be happy to set the record straight.

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