During my many years as a women’s hair loss specialist, I have been on the receiving end of all sorts of wild misconceptions about hair thinning and hair loss. There are so many old wives tails and so much on the internet that is flat-out wrong! Which is why this Ask Dr. Wendel post will offer up the truth behind some of the craziest hair loss myths that I’ve heard.
One myth about hair loss is that over-shampooing will make your hair fall out. Although women may notice that they shed hair strands much more after they shampoo or brush their hair, it’s actually a part of the normal hair growth cycle. (You can read more about normal hair loss in this previous blog post.) Another myth is that coloring your hair can make it fall out. Dyeing or bleaching your hair can make hair break more easily but it won’t make it fall out from the root. Same goes for hot styling tools like blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners.
As for myths about preventing hair loss, I have had more than a few patients who heard that standing on one’s head can make your hair grow faster and thicker! Obviously, this is completely false. Hair loss is not a blood flow problem, but instead is caused by other factors such as age, diet, medications and genetics.
The hair-related folk tale that I hear every day is that hair loss is supposed to only happen to men. This is absolutely not true. About 40% of women experience hair loss in their lifetime and, while men and women lose hair differently, it still affects both genders the same way. It can be frustrating, embarrassing and emotionally devastating for anyone having to deal with it.
To finish up this post, I must say that the very worst untruth about hair loss is that there’s no hope. I want every woman out there struggling with hair loss to know that there is hope. Medi Tresse is one of the very few clinics in New England (and even in the U.S.) that, in addition to offering an array of hair loss treatments, specializes in Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy for the scalp. PRP has been studied and proven to show improvements in hair loss in only six month. In about three treatments, which only take one hour each (from start-to-finish) in our office, a patient will see regrowth. PRP doesn’t just maintain your current level of thinness – it can regrow hair in places that are thinning out or even patchy.
We welcome any woman to call or email us for a friendly, confidential consultation about the best treatments to address whatever type of hair loss you may be experiencing. No matter how subtle or serious it is, we will ask you the right questions to get to the bottom of what may be causing your hair loss, and we will give your our best professional recommendations for treatment options that can lead to noticeable improvements.
Posted by Mary Wendel, M.D.
