Wearing a hat causes hair loss

 ✖️ - Total myth. Heat and lack of air generally from long periods of wearing a hat or helmet doesn’t affect the blood flow to the hair follicle, so that means if you are wearing a hat all the time, it won’t cause hair loss. However good hat hygiene is always recommended to avoid any sort of infection on your head. 

Baldness comes from your mother’s side of the family

 ✖️ - A factor in hair loss can be down to genetic makeup or hereditary issues, but it is a complete myth that baldness is exclusively down to your mum and her family having a trend of hair loss or baldness. Studies show it can come from either parent. However, if baldness is in the family, it doesn’t always mean everyone will lose their hair. We cant blame our mums for this one. 

If you cut your hair, it will grow back thicker 

 ✖️ - It is true that when you get your hair chopped, it does appear thicker. But this is due to the shape of each hair strand believe it or not. Hair follicles are thicker at the root, and it gets thinner as it goes to the end. So, before your hair is cut, it will look straggly and lifeless but that is because it is longer and more of the thinner part of the strand is on show. When it is cut, it looks thicker as you have got rid of the thinnest and most damaged parts of the strand.   

Stress makes your hair fall out

 ✔️ - Now this one, there is a bit of truth in. Hair needs blood flow to grow and stay healthy. When you are stressed or in a prolonged state of distress, your body can react by shutting down in areas that aren’t considered to be ‘needed’ to function. Hair falls into that category and as much as it is important to us all, to your body in times of stress, it is seen as surplus to requirements. Keep in mind this type of hair loss is usually temporary and just because you are stressed, doesn’t always mean your hair will fall out.  

 Male pattern baldness only happens to males

 ✖️ - Strange to think given the name but male pattern baldness can happen to women as well and isn’t an exclusive club only for men. It is all about genetics with pattern baldness and it isn’t particularly picky about who it lets into this club. Saying that it got its name male pattern baldness for a reason, and that is because it most commonly affects males but not exclusively.  

Smoking can cause hair loss

 ✔️ - Smoking is certainly a factor that contributes to damaged hair. This is because smoking reduces the amount and quality of oxygen the reaches each hair follicle. Hair follicles can struggle to grow and can become dry and brittle when they don’t have good blood flow and oxygen plays a massive part in this. So, if your oxygen isn't top notch, it will affect your blood and how it flows around your body, impacting organs, skin and hair. 

Men with Male Pattern Baldness have higher testosterone levels

 ✖️ - Men with male pattern baldness can have lower testosterone levels but higher levels of enzymes that converts testosterone to DHT (an androgen [hormone] that is present in all males), which has been linked to earlier and faster hair loss and male pattern baldness. Testosterone and DHT have other roles aside in our bodies aside from hair growth/loss and are super important for muscle mass and fertility.

You could say, why is there not a treatment to get rid of DHT and then hair loss won’t be a worry? But low DHT can cause other problems such as late or incomplete physical development, issues with fat distribution and increased risk of very aggressive prostate tumours, so it is needed. 

 Women and Men can get Hair Transplants

✔️ - Of course this is true. Hair transplants are just as effective for women as men. However, it is true that more men undergo hair restoration surgery such as a hair transplant, in fact recent studies shows that 15% of hair transplants completed on women, with 85% being for men, so it is easy to see why people think hair transplants are only for men. Hair loss does affect males disproportionally to females, so that would also explain why more men seek a more permanent solution.  

At MHR Belfast, we have seen an increase in enquiries from females wanting a hair transplant and it is become more popular than wigs as a hair loss option, as it is permanent.

  We lose 50-100 hairs a day

 ✔️ - This of course is an average, and everyone is different and are in different stages of their hair loss cycles. It does seem like a lot of hair to lose per day, but it is perfectly normal and this hair will soon be replaced. You should be concerned if hair loss is more constant and noticeable.

We don’t suggest you count hair strands lost every day but if you feel concerned keep an eye on hair loss when washing hair, brushing and styling and if this is persistent, then contact MHR Belfast for advice.