As common as hair loss is, the facts and reasons behind it often elude us from understanding why it happens and how we can prevent it. We spoke to Tien Goh, the Educational Manager at Shiseido Professional, to delve a little deeper into the most common misconceptions she’s heard of when it comes to hair loss, thinning hair, and hair breakage, and why they’re actually wrong.
For Tien, who has been in the business for 16 years and running, she’s no stranger to the myths of hair loss and has heard everything across the spectrum from hats causing baldness to the belief that dead follicles can still grow healthy hair. Here, she debunks six most common myths she’s come across:
Just like how we wash our face daily, the same consideration should be extended to our scalp. As Tien emphasises “Daily shampooing is necessary to cleanse the scalp and get rid of sebum or impurities. Our scalp needs that regular wash to prevent clogged pores or inflammation of the skin.”
Think of it this way: clean hair keeps the scalp healthy, and a healthy scalp is the best environment to prevent hair loss. Tien recommends a weekly detox with a deep cleansing shampoo to ensure that the scalp is thoroughly cleansed and purified. If you have an oily scalp, use a shampoo that’s formulated specifically for that condition. “Follow it with a scalp conditioner to moisturise the scalp after a deep cleanse. This is an essential step to rebalance the hydration in the scalp, especially for women above 40s where their sebum secretion tends to reduce much more. We recommend SUBLIMIC Fuente Forte (Oily) for oily scalps and the SUBLIMIC Fuente Forte Scalp Treatment for a scalp conditioner that will help neutralise moisture and keep it balanced.”
If you’ve bleached or coloured your hair, it’s likely that your stylist might have recommended you to use a colour shampoo or prolong the time between each wash to better preserve the colour. Instead of stretching out the days far beyond necessary and increasing the buildup around the scalp, Tien recommends opting for a colour shampoo to prevent loss of colour, preferably one that’s not creamy so it’s less likely to make your scalp more oily. You can also choose to apply a hair shielding product, it helps prevent the hair pigment from being discharged by the water during shampooing with its hydrophobic film. As always, follow up your hair routine with a moisturising and intensive conditioner and avoid having that touch the scalp.
Dry shampoo works by absorbing sebum from the scalp and though it keeps the hair from appearing oily, it’s not recommended to be used on a regular basis and especially not in replacement of an actual shampoo. Keep in mind that though it keeps your roots from looking oily, it also doesn’t get rid of impurities, fungus, or bacteria build up that might otherwise occur around the scalp. In the long run, this can cause more build up that will irritate the scalp, weaken hair follicles, and at its worse, could lead to more hair fall.
This is a tricky one, on one hand, Tien mentions that “Hair that’s falling out is going to fall out anyway, and it’s unlikely that it’s due to the fact that you’re brushing through it.” However, you should still keep in mind that there is an accurate way to brush your hair, and if done right, it can even help stimulate hair growth.
Start by brushing your hair from the ends first before working your way in sections to the roots. This way, you work the knots out before brushing it from root to ends and it’s a lot more gentle on the strands. Our hair strands are also a lot more susceptible to breakage when they’re wet, so you should avoid doing so.
Another one that depends entirely on context. Tien clarifies, “It is ok to pull back into a ponytail daily however there are some things to take note. Do not tie the hair up when it is still wet, as it will result in a damp and hot environment that encourages bacteria to proliferate resulting in scalp problems. If showering immediately is not feasible after exercising, be sure to let your hair down from a ponytail to air dry as the scalp is damp from sweat. Tie it back only when it is not as damp. The tension of tying the hair should also not be too tight and if you can, avoid elastic bands and use a scrunchie instead if you need to tie your hair up every day.”
First things first, there is no scientific proof to support the claim that MSG can lead to hair loss, or other beliefs like headaches, or numbness in the limbs. As Tien explains, “The answer is yes and no. Eating instant noodles and MSG won’t cause you to lose your hair, there isn’t any evidence for that to be proven otherwise. But by consuming these foods, you’re also not consuming enough protein or iron and it’s because of insufficient intake of these sources that cause hair loss.” Eating a balanced diet goes a long way when it comes to stimulating hair growth, especially foods that contain nutrients like protein, biotin, and iron. Eggs, fatty fish, sweet potatoes, and avocados, to name a few, are great additions to consider.