Drinking coffee with stunt your growth. Don’t go outside with wet hair in the winter or you’ll catch a cold. If you swallow gum, it’ll take seven years to digest.

These are just a handful of old wives’ tales passed down from one generation to the next. In some cases, there’s not a shred of truth to them. And sometimes, just a little. Take gum, for example. Sure, the synthetic portion of gum is indigestible by the human body, but it won’t just sit in your stomach for several years; it’ll find its way out much like anything else.

Hair is no exception. In fact, there are so many old wives’ tales about haircare that it’s tricky to decipher fact from fiction. Here are 6 hair myths, busted.

If you pluck one grey hair, two will grow in its place. This is most certainly false. Sure, plucking one hair will get rid of it temporarily, but because the follicle is alive, it will simply produce another hair to replace it. But what you do to one follicle has no impact on those around it, thus making it impossible for two more grey hairs to grow.

Shampooing causes hair loss. It’s not uncommon to shed hair while shampooing, but that doesn’t make a good shampoo guilty of any malfeasance. Hair needs a clean, healthy environment in which to grow. So, if you are already experiencing hair thinning or loss, drastically cutting back on washing could make the problem worse. While you don’t need to wash your hair daily, it’s important to keep it clean.

Don’t use oils if you have greasy hair. This is a myth that both dermatologists and haircare professionals spend their careers trying to dispel. The truth is, adding oils to the hair shaft and ends adds shine, luster, and helps repair split ends.

For healthy hair, brush it with 100 strokes each day. Doing this can cause more harm than good as over-brushing can weaken hair and cause breakage. Use a wide-tooth comb or brush designed for your hair’s texture and length but avoid pulling or tugging. To remove stubborn tangles, try a moisturizing conditioner or detangling spray.

Your hair gets used to a shampoo. This one can be an expensive old wives’ tale to keep up with. Your hair gets used to a shampoo’s effects over time, but that does not mean you should change it if it’s still working for you. Good reasons to change include aging, seasonal impacts on hair, and if started or stopping coloring it.

You shouldn’t dye your hair while pregnant. The truth is permanent and semi-permanent hair dye do not contain any toxins or chemicals that can harm a baby and only a minuscule amount of the dye is absorbed into your skin. So, feel free to cover those greys or go as bold as you like with your color during pregnancy.

And then there’s the question of hair thinning and balding. No matter what you think might be the cause – however far-fetched it might be – come in to see us for a free consultation. We’ll not only inform you as to what’s going on, we’ll explain what can be done to give you back your hair.