There are constantly rumours floating around about hair loss and male pattern baldness, most with no real proof or reason. Some of these are based off folklore and myth, but others hold some truth to them so we’re here to seperate the truth from the legends.
We will start by saying that you shouldn’t blame yourself. Going bald is a genetic trait that you cannot change much like what eye colour you inherit. You could wear contact lenses or a wig to change the fact, but underneath the disguise will still hold your truth. You simply can’t change what your mother gave you. And this leads us perfectly to our first myth buster…
Hair Loss Myths
Did my mother give me the bald gene?
Only old people experience baldness
True or myth? MYTH
A quarter of men who go bald are already losing their hair by the age of 21. Some 50% of men will be affected by baldness by the time they’re 50.
You may not notice it straight away as signs of hair loss won’t be obvious until close to half your hair is thinning.
Will wearing a hat too often make me go bald?
True or myth? COMPLETE MYTH
Your hair doesn’t need sunlight and water to grow. It’s not a plant.
Hair follicles do require oxygen, but they get this from your bloodstream, never the air it touches. I guess this is in the same way plants get their water source from their roots… so maybe it is like a plant after all.
Back to the point, wear that hat all you want, it won’t affect your balding journey in any way.
Do bald men have more testosterone?
True or myth? MYTH
Unfortunately gents, this is one we would have preferred to be true but science sadly disagrees. Studies have shown that testosterone levels in men of all hairiness levels are relative.
Strong hormones do play a role in baldness with high levels of DHT causing your hair follicles to stop producing, but we’re not sure saying “bald guys have more DHT,” will have the same ring to it.
Is all hair loss permanent?
True or myth? MYTH
MPB is genetic and irreversible but there are many other ways people can go bald that are not permanent. Trauma, hormonal changes, illness and diet/lack of nutrients can all be contributing factors. An example of this is postpartum hair loss in women after giving birth but this usually rectifies around 6 months after the birth.
Which leads into our next few myths/truths…
Only men can go bald
True or myth? MYTH
As discussed above, postpartum hair loss known as postpartum alopecia can affect up to 90% of new mothers. It is estimated that around 50% of women will suffer hair loss in their lives, just in a different way to men.
Women notice more evenly distributed hair loss making their hair appear thinner.
Can stress cause hair loss?
True or myth? PARTIALLY TRUE
Whilst every day stress cannot cause your hair to fall out, big traumatic events have been linked to hair loss. This could be a medical illness which causes significant stress to your body and pushes the hair follicles into a resting phase or Alopecia areata which is where the immune system attacks the hair follicles.
Another condition named Trichotillomania causes a strong urge to pull out ones own hair and can be caused by stress, loneliness, frustration or even boredom.
Good news is this is mostly temporary and hair can grown back afterwards. But if you are suffering significant unexplained hair loss, it’s always best to contact your GP.
Can using too much shampoo cause hair loss?
True or myth? MYTH
As long as you rinse your shampoo out properly and you are not allergic to its ingredients, then this should not cause hair loss. It’s natural to lose up to 100 strands of hair a day and this mostly falls out when brushing or washing.
Can hair products or hair dye cause hair loss?
True or myth? MOSTLY MYTH
Some ingredients such as alcohol or polyethylene glycol can dry out your hair which can cause breakage but doesn’t directly lead to hair fallout.
But, dyeing your hair can weaken the hair strands and sometimes lead to scalp irritation thanks to an ingredient called paraphenylendiamine. This then links to hair thinning. But making sure your hair is dyed by a professional means they will keep it off the scalp and the colour will stay longer so you won’t need to dye it as frequently.
Will cutting my hair more often make it grow faster/thicker?
True or myth? MYTH
Haircuts only help with stopping hair breakage, not hair growth. The health of your hair starts at the root and below the surface.
So, dealing with the root cause of hair loss…
Will taking vitamins or pills promote hair growth?
True or myth? MOSTLY MYTH
Are hair loss solutions a scam?
The Bald Company member Markus used to take a pill sold to him as a ‘miracle cure’ for hair growth but all it did was hold his already receding hairline in the same spot. He experienced no new growth and quickly decided it was not worth the money and energy.
Some FDA-approved ‘cures’ require lifelong application with no guarantee of obvious results. And that’s before you even consider possible side effects. Plus, these treatments only work for men who have just started to notice hair thinning, as it can never bring back a hair line that is already bare.
What about hair transplants? Do they work?
True or myth? MIXED REVIEWS
There are often very mixed results in regards to the success of hair transplants. Whilst it’s no cure for hair loss, some studies (by hair transplant companies I should add, so take this with a grain of salt) say that around 85% of patients experience hair growth. To what scale they measure this is anyones guess.
It’s also highly unlikely that you will only ever need just one hair transplant, as explained in this article by a guy who had 13 surgeries! As your natural hair sheds more, you will need more surgeries to patch up those areas.
And with surgeries costing anywhere from $5,000 – $15,000 a pop, it’s a lot of money to waste if the results don’t meet expectations.
This is all also dependant on if you have enough healthy hair follicles to be your own hair donor as you can’t transplant hair from someone else. So for most bald guys, you’re probably too far gone anyway.
Other crazy myths we’ve heard include:
Does a high intake in carbs encourage hair loss?
MYTH
An active sex life makes you go bald.
MYTH
Cold water showers promote hair growth.
MYTH
Although cold water showers are a great way to de-stress.
Massaging and brushing hair reduces hair loss.
MYTH
Whatever the myth may be, it’s important to realise that it doesn’t all really matter in the end. The minute you stop stressing over what will make you bald and how you can stop it, the minute you give in to what nature intended, the better you will feel. You’ll embrace bald and eventually wonder what you were ever worried about.
