Hair Loss Myths Explained

Myth: Hair Loss is Inherited From the Mother's Side

The majority of hair loss in both men and women are genetics - that is, hair loss is a hereditary trait and can be inherited from either the mother's or father's side.

Myth: Hair Loss Needs to be Inherited From Both Parents

Each one of us inherit one copy of a particular gene from each of our parents. So you will inherit one copy of the gene that will determine whether you have inherited hair loss from your father and one copy from your mother.

While the details are unknown, the hair loss trait is dominant.

What does all this mean?

Take for example that your father has one copy bad version of the gene whereas your mother does not. The likelihood that you inherit the bad gene from your father is 50/50 and none from your mother. Since it's dominant, the likelihood that you get hair loss is 50/50.

Note: X is the bad version of the gene that will give you hair loss, whereas O is the version of the gene that does not. This means that the chances of you inheriting hair loss is 50% (2 XO's out of 4 possibilities).

Take for example, that both your parents have hair loss problem and that both your parents each have one copy of the hair loss gene. The chances that you inherit the bad gene from either your father or mother (you only need one copy to get the inherited hair loss problem) just increased to 75%.

Note: X is the bad version of the gene that will give you hair loss, whereas O is the version of the gene that does not. This means that the chances of you inheriting hair loss is 75% (1 XX and 2 XO's out of 4 possibilities).

If that's not bad enough, here's more: if just one of your parents have both copies of the bad version of the gene, the chances of you getting hair loss is 100%.

Note: X is the bad version of the gene that will give you hair loss, whereas O is the version of the gene that does not. This means that the chances of you inheriting hair loss is 100% (2 XX's and 2 XO's out of 4 possibilities).

So how do you know whether your parents have one copy each of the bad version of the gene, two copies each, or none? Only detailed genetics analysis taking into account several generations of your family hair loss treat can reveal it.

Myth: Cutting Hair Will Make It Grow Thicker

Your hair is thicker at the base than the tip, so cutting your hair would make it appear thicker at first. After its normal life span, your hair would drop off and new hair with the same diameter as original pre-cut hair, would grow.

Pulling hair, on the other hand, can lead to hair loss. This is because pulling hair causes trauma to the hair follicle and can cause it to pause for 3 or 4 months before growing new strands of hair. Repeated pulling can cause the hair to grow finer, until it stops growing all together.

Myth: Wearing Hats Can Cause Hair Loss

Unless the hat is worn so tight as to cut off circulation to the hair follicles, wearing a hat does not cause hair to fall out. Instead, hats can contribute positively by blocking the sun and preventing sunburn.

Wearing hat for too long especially in hot and humid climate, however, can contribute to the excretion and accumulation of sebum and oil on your hair. Sebum is a waxy substance that is secreted by the sebaceous glands in your skin onto hair follicles. Overtime, sebum can react with cholesterol to create a hardened sebum plug that cuts off oxygen circulation to the hair follicles and cause it to fall out. Sebum plug can also accumulate dirt and become a breeding ground for bacteria and contributing to hair loss.

Myth: DHT is The Only Culprit in Hair Loss

While it is true that overproduction of the male hormone or androgen called DHT is an important cause of hair loss in men and women, it is not the only cause.

DHT is a natural form of testosterone produced by an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase. Binding of this metabolite to its receptors in the hair follicle is thought to lead to hair loss. Many chemical drugs (such as finasteride) and natural supplements either inhibit the production of DHT or prevent it from binding its follicular receptors.

DHT, however, is required for normal sexual functions. Indescriminate inhibition of this metabolite has led to sexual performance problems, such as impotence or erectile dysfunction.

In addition to preventing the overproduction of DHT (preferably only regulating the overproduction of local scalp DHT, for example by using Retane), your hair loss treatment regimen should also include providing nutrients and vitamins to strengthen existing hair, prevent hair fall out due to damage, and promote new hair growth. Improving blood circulation to the follicles (the action of the chemical drug minoxidil) can also be used treat hair loss.

Myth: Blow Drying and Frequent Washing Causes Hair Loss

Unless they are done excessively, blow drying and washing your hair frequently will not cause hair loss. However, heat damaged hair is often brittle and prone to shedding. Too much heat can also permanently damage hair follicles, leading to hair loss. Similarly, physical damage to hair due to overaggressive shampooing or toweling can lead to a hair loss condition called traction alopecia.

Similarly, coloring hair, perming, and styling - when done properly - do not lead to hair loss.

Myth: Losing 100 Strands of Hair Per Day is Normal

Your hair grows and falls out according to its normal growth cycle. In this cycle, a hair follicle would grow for about four to five years. In its fifth year, the follicle would stop growing and enter its rest cycle. By the beginning of the sixth year, the hair strand would fall out and the growth cycle starts again.

The average number of follicles in your scalp is between 100,000 to 150,000, 90% of which is in the growth cycle at any given time. It has been said that we shed about 100 strands of hair per day - however, this number has turned out to be a gross overestimate. Although the exact number of hair shed varies from person to person, new studies have indicated that only about 20 to 50 strands are shed normally in a day.

Thus losing 100 strands per day may be an indication of the early stages of hair loss.

Myth: You Can Increase the Number of Hair Follicles

You are born with all the follicles you'll ever have. The number of hair follicles is determined by genetics and cannot be changed by taking drugs or supplements. The only proven way to increase the number of follicles is by hair transplant surgery.

Similarly, the diameter of hair shaft, the maximum length of growth, rate of hair growth, hair color, tendency to curl, and tendency to gray are genetically determined.

Myth: There is Nothing You Can Do to Prevent or Treat Hair Loss

This last myth is probably the most misunderstood thing about hair loss. In the past, this was true - there was nothing that can be done about hair loss. But now, with advances in science and understanding about the nutritional needs of hair, men and women no longer have to live with hair loss.

Retane has been clinically shown to be effective in stopping hair loss and preventing further shedding of hair. Stopping hair loss is the crucial first step in combating progressive hair loss as it allows men and women to keep their own original hair. For many people with early cases of hair loss, Retane has also been shown to promote new growth of hair. This is one reason that early treatment of hair loss is very important.

For men with advanced cases of baldness, hair restoration can do wonders. While there is currently no reliable means to regrow hair from dead follicles, microsurgical transplantation of follicles can re-create natural looking hairlines and restore hair growth in men. Be sure, however, to look for a board certified dermatologist with expertise in hair transplant surgery.

Because of the diffuse nature of women's hair loss, it is much more difficult but not impossible to transplant hair in women.