Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on Davines. Minor edits have been done by Tousled Online Magazine editors.
With all of the hair and styling advice out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused over what hair care path to follow. So Davines spoke with their Technical Education Manager, Sunny Brewer, to debunk some hair care myths and common misconceptions, to help you curate the best care routine (and practices) possible.
Cutting your hair makes it grow faster
Your hair grows an average of six inches per year — this means your ends have been through a lot of wear and tear. While this won’t make your hair grow faster, regular trims are still a key part of maintaining healthy hair and avoiding further splitting your ends. “You still need regular trims,” Sunny says. “Normal wear and tear can cause a lack of density throughout your hair, making it look finer, unmanageable, and unhealthy. Regular trims help combat split ends and hair that is at risk of breaking.”
You can heal split ends
“You can’t get split ends to revert back to a perfect state, but you can mend them with products like Heart of Glass and Naturaltech Nourishing that contain Davines’ Biacidic Bond Complex. Using a hair glaze for blondes protects the hair from thermal damage, which can also cause split ends. And remember what we discussed: consistent trims remove the wear and tear that causes split ends!”
Heat tools are bad for your hair
While using heat tools without the proper protection will damage your hair over time, there are many different thermal and heat protectant products that can help you maintain healthy hair even with regular styling. According to Sunny: “Heat protection offers general protection, while a thermal protector protects the hair up to a specific degree that is tested. If you use a blow dryer or hot tool that heats up to around 450 degrees, use a thermal protector. You’ll notice a huge difference in the integrity of your hair and the longevity of your color.” Even with heat protectant products, let your hair air dry a bit before applying heat to help minimize the potential for damage.
Wearing a hat causes hair to thin
Wearing a hat won’t cause you to lose hair — however, if there is friction or the hat pulls the hair in any way, it could cause a loss of hair in that area. Sunny says, “A hat doesn’t cause you to lose your hair, but the stress it could cause on the scalp could cause a loss.”
Using too much conditioner can cause hair loss
“If you apply conditioner on the scalp, it could congest the follicle and lead to hair loss,” Sunny says. “Most conditioners are just designed for lengths and ends — but Renewing Conditioning Treatment can go on the scalp due to its anti-aging properties.”
If you have greasy hair, you shouldn’t use conditioner
This is a myth! No matter what your hair type, you should still use conditioner. “We have to address issues at the scalp as well as what the lengths and ends need to stay healthy. To help control excessive sebum production, I recommend Rebalancing Shampoo from Naturaltech.”
Sleeping with wet hair will make you catch a cold
“Nope! A cold is a virus.”
Rinsing your hair with cold water makes it shinier
According to Sunny, this is true! “It can help seal and close the cuticle — when the cuticle is compact, light is able to reflect better off of your hair. Of course, products like hair oil can help create immediate shine if you don’t like ending your shower with a chilly rinse.”
If you pluck one gray hair two more will grow in its place
Sunny says that this is technically false. “It has to do with the individual follicle. So, if you tweeze a gray hair, then another gray hair will grow back, but it will not encourage the follicles around it to start producing gray hair.”
Wearing your hair up too much can make your hair fall out
Sunny says, “this is closely related to the friction and stress one could experience from wearing a hat. If you are pulling your hair back tightly or pulling it up and twisting it around tightly, it could cause hair breakage.” Be sure to check out Davines’ Energizing family to treat thinning hair if you’re experiencing excessive loss.
Your hair doesn’t need sun protection
“Aside from causing a loss of hydration and moisture, UV rays can also cause hair sensitivity (especially if you’re color-treated) and fade color pigment. Davines’ SU line is designed to protect your hair before or after sun exposure.”
It can be easy to get overwhelmed by all of the (often contradicting) hair advice out there, so we hope that this has helped answer some of your most common questions.
