Four hair “myths” that are actually true

Sometimes it's hard to distinguish fact from fiction when it comes to hair loss. We discuss some of the most common misunderstandings here.

1. Hair extensions can cause hair loss. It may sound like a myth but actually traction alopecia is surprisingly common where the follicles are placed under stress.  Even tight pony tails and braids can result in temporary and sometimes even permanent damage.  Naomi Campbell has already testified to the damage years of fashion shoots have done to her hair.
2. Diet doesn’t affect hair loss. Actually, diet is important.  Your hair, like your skin is a barometer of your general well-being.  If your body is deficient in vitamins or minerals then it could actually help precipitate hair loss. It certainly won’t help if your nutrition is poor and your’ already predisposed genetically or otherwise to thinning.
3. My Dad was bald so It’s inevitable I will be too. Whilst there is an increased chance of your father passing on the bald gene to you it’s certainly not inevitable.  Genetic make up comes from both parents and hair loss can skip generations.
4. Stress can cause hair loss. Stress can actually cause hair loss in two ways.  Chronic stress has been shown in recent studies to be a contributory factor and accelerate androgenic alopecia but also a sudden stressful incident can cause hair loss sometimes all over the body.  Fortunately both stress conditions are normally temporary but not always.
5. I’m a man and I’m losing my hair. There’s nothing I can do.  Whilst there’s no cure for the most common cause of hair loss in men, androgenic alopecia, there are a number of treatments.  Transplants have come on leaps and bounds in the last few years and medications like Minoxidil and Finasteride have proven their worth in clinical trials at holding hair loss at bay.  There’s also a range of new treatments including Scalp Micropigmentation (SMP) which can really tackle the onset of baldness.