5 Myths Surrounding Hair Loss

Whilst it is perfectly normal to experience some level of hair loss during your life, sometimes as much as 100 hairs a day, experiencing rapid hair loss or baldness will only affect a few people depending on the cause. Whether you have a family history of baldness or have experienced temporary conditions such as traction alopecia, where excessive strain on the follicles will cause hair to fall out, there are still many myths surrounding hair loss and confusion over its causes and various solutions. Here we take a look at 5 common misconceptions about hair loss that aren’t as true as they may seem.

Myth 1: Hair Loss is Always Permanent

Some people do still feel that if you develop a bald patch such as experienced with alopecia areata, that this will not grow back. However, this isn’t true and many people will see a return to a regular hair loss/growth cycle in time with temporary conditions. There are still permanent hair loss conditions, such as hereditary hair loss, that can lead to pattern baldness, something that sufferers will then seek the best hair transplant in Istanbul through medical tourism to receive natural-looking results they desire. If you are experiencing unexplained hair loss or thinning hair, it’s best to consider it could be temporary before proceeding with any drastic solution and see your doctor. 

Myth 2: Only Older People Suffer from Hair Loss

Whilst it’s common to see people of a certain age with thinning or balding scalps, hair loss is not exclusive to those over 30. Many young people can suffer from premature hair loss unexpectedly, especially due to hormonal changes in the body. If you have a family member that had hair loss from an early age, the chances are this could happen to you too. As recommended by doctors, if you do experience hair loss early on in life, it’s best to not go ahead with procedures such as a hair transplant until you reach your 30s at least. This is because it could be a temporary condition and a doctor will want to wait until a pattern emerges before confirming a permanent condition.

Myth 3: You Can Only Inherit Hair Loss from your Mother’s Side

Androgenic alopecia, or hereditary hair loss, can be passed on from either side of your family tree. A common misconception is that this comes from your mother’s side of the family, however as we all share DNA from both parents, the truth is either parent can pass on the gene. This is come down to further research over the years as it was once believed to be the maternal grandfather being the main indicating of genetic hair loss. However, in recent years it’s been found that a particular chromosome that can be passed from either parent can play it’s part in pattern baldness.

Myth 4: Only Men Suffer from Hair Loss

Whilst most people when asked to visualise a balding person will picture a male, it’s a myth that baldness and hair loss only occurs in men. Both sexes can suffer from hair loss, but the difference is that pattern baldness develops slightly differently in men and women. Men will typically develop a receding hair line at the top of the head and gradually leave only a ring of hair, whereas women will experience thinning hair all over.

Myth 5: Having Your Hair Cut Regularly Will Speed Up Hair Growth