When it comes to hair advice, there is a TON of information out there. Some of it will help you reach your hair goals, but some of the popular tips that circulate the internet may not be as helpful as you think.
So, I thought it would be beneficial if I shed some light on a few of the hair myths I see most often. Hopefully this saves you time (and even some money) as you plan your own personal hair goals, especially as we enter the second half of the year! I truly can’t believe I just wrote that. Where has 2022 gone?
Anyways, back to hair. Let’s get to debunking the top 3 hair myths I’m seeing most often.
Myth #1: Purple Shampoo Makes Your Blonde Lighter.
I feel like some of your hearts probably broke as you read that but stay with me. Purple shampoo is meant to cancel out the yellow tones in your blonde. However, removing the warmth in your hair does not allow for light to reflect off of it. What does that mean? Well, removing all of the warmth to get a “cool” or “ash” tone will actually make the hair appear DARKER.
Additionally, purple shampoo has to alter the pH level of the cuticle in order to deposit the purple pigment which is drying to the hair and can easily lead to build up of the pigment. This makes the hair look a bit dull. If your hair looks dark or gray when it’s wet, that build up is probably present. If you MUST use a purple shampoo, then I recommend using a purple conditioner, so the pH of the hair isn’t changed, and the pigment isn’t as strong. It’s a more subtle solution to removing those yellow tones from your hair.
Myth #2: Biotin is the Best to Make Your Hair Grow
Biotin is a vitamin that can stimulate hair growth. There’s no doubt about that.
That being said, the amount that is put in these popular hair, skin & nail supplements is WAY TOO MUCH!
Although Biotin is water soluble and your body will “pass what it doesn’t need”, your hair can actually store everything your body releases. Yikes, right?
This is why you can get a hair Follicle test to see what medications have been in your system. The same concept applies to the biotin you are taking. The side effects of too much biotin include rashes or breaking out on the skin, lowering your immune system, and making your hair very dry and brittle. Not exactly the results we’re trying to achieve if you ask me.
Although your hair may grow, after a month or two it will start breaking off much easier. Again, not exactly what we’re going for. Check out this blog for the supplements I recommend for hair growth.
Myth #3: Products with Keratin are the Best for Your Hair.
I agree that including keratin in your hair regimen is a good idea, but there’s more to the story. The giant mistake that people make is that they don’t rotate their hair off of these products after 2-3 months and then, like so many things, too much of a good thing can become a very bad thing. Over stimulating the hair with keratin will dry out the hair and make it very brittle which is the opposite of what most people are trying to achieve. I recommend using a keratin protein dense regimen for 1-3 months and then rotate to a different system without that ingredient for 3 months to avoid over stimulation.
As we know, in the world of google, social media and Pinterest, the advice on any given topic is endless. My suggestion would be to choose your favorite expert on each platform that you trust and seek out guidance from them first. That way you’re not being overwhelmed with too much information (especially when some of it isn’t necessarily true). When it comes to hair health, I’ll always do my best to make things as clear, simple, and helpful as possible.
In this space, I’ve always got your back.
