By Virginie
Charles recently found a French article on Yahoo! pour Elles about 8 hair care myths . He forwarded it to me, thinking that maybe we could do something with it.
At first glance, looking at the titles for each myth, it seemed like it could be interesting to translate the article into English, to bring the information to all our readers.
Once I started actually translating the text however, I was surprised by the inconsistency of their content. Some “myths” were accurately refuted, and good information provided. Others were partially analyzed with information that, out of context, could be misinterpreted. I even found one “myth” whose content didn’t really match the myth.
We’ve decided as hair professionals, to give a hopefully better rendition of these hair myths.
We cannot pretend that we are 100% right, of course. But, for now, this is what is considered true by hair care experts (namely actual cosmetics researchers and product brand educators). Keep in mind that there is not always one right answer: you need to take into account parameters that include the type and texture of hair to provide a good answer.
Myth #1 is a good case in point about how there is not always one right answer:
Myth #1: You should shampoo your hair every day
What Yahoo! pour Elles says:
Having one shower a day is a minimum, but should you shampoo your hair daily? Experts recommend 3 to 4 shampoos max per week, to prevent your hair from getting dry and damaged. The more you shampoo your hair, the more the hair shaft loses its natural hydration.
Comments from the Atelier Emmanuel Team:
Everything mentioned by Yahoo! pour Elles is right.
They could also have mentioned that:
- Shampooing your hair once a week would be ideal. Depending on your lifestyle (especially if you do a lot of sport) think of using a dry shampoo as an alternative to a regular shampoo.
- Shampooing your hair everyday might encourage an oily scalp as it supposedly triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum (oil).
- You should pick a shampoo according to the condition of your scalp (not your hair).
- If you are shampooing more frequently you should stock two shampoos: one for frequent use, and a weekly shampoo targeting specific needs (eg: for oily scalp).
- You should use high quality hair care products. Many commercial products contain harsh detergents that will strip your natural oils and throw your head’s ecosystem out of whack, leading to either oily, dry or damaged hair. Check the ingredients of your current shampoo, make sure you want what’s in there!
Stylist input by Emmanuel, Charles and Martin
What do you think? How often do you wash your hair?
Next Hair Myth: Trimming your hair help them grow faster
