Hair loss affects adult men of all ages and is a very tough issue to deal with. But in our quest to understand and explain why hair loss occurs, we cling on to some major misconceptions. It is time to debunk these four common myths about hair loss once and for all.
While popular science regards them as the universal truth, actual science has something else to say about them.
1. Wearing a Hat Causes Hair Loss
You must have heard this one: if you wear a hat on a regular basis, you risk losing your hair. Yet according to science, it’s one of the many myths about hair loss.
The only way this can affect hair loss is if you wear a hat that is too tight. If that’s the case, the hat will pull the hair too tight and might cause a form of alopecia. Otherwise, there’s not much truth to this misconception.
2. It’s Your Mother’s Father’s Fault
This one is very high on the list of common myths about hair loss. If your maternal grandfather has a full head of hair, you won’t have to deal with hair loss problems. But it turns out this is far from true.
When it comes to how thick your hair is, it’s your entire gene pool that plays a part. This includes your maternal grandfather, as well as all males in your family. If your brother, your father, or your uncle have hair loss problems, it might be time for you to seek professional advice.
3. Stress Causes Permanent Hair Loss
Stress affects your body in many negative ways, but permanent hair loss is not among them. In fact, stress only causes your hair follicles to take a break, but doesn’t kill them.
As such, stress can only affect temporary hair loss problems. Yes, it can cause you to start shedding more hair in patches. However, the condition is fully reversible with the right treatment.
4. There’s Too Much Testosterone in Your Body
Here’s another one of the common myths about hair loss. If you have too much testosterone, your hair will fall out.
In reality, your testosterone levels don’t play a part in your hair loss problems. Hair loss is all about how sensitive your hair follicles are to hormones in your body. It’s your genes that determine this.
