Experiencing Hair Loss? Ban your Brush!

You've all heard the old wives tale "One hundred strokes a day will give you a healthy head of hair." Wrong! The truth? The less you brush your hair, the healthier your hair will be! Now this doesn't mean that you should stop grooming yourself altogether! That isn't what we're implying at all. Just brush your hair until you get it the way you want it, and then leave it alone! Skip the hairspray, gel, and any products that contain alcohol. Want to know a secret? Any product that contains alcohol will only dry out your hair and damage it further. You're probably wondering where the "100 strokes a day" myth started. Let's take you back to an earlier time. Say, 1850...when people didn't shower on a daily basis. If they washed their hair with soap three times a month, it was a lot. These people needed to brush their hair to remove excess oils and dead skin. Have you ever gone without a shower for two days and noticed how oily your hair looks? Imagine going three weeks without bathing! Makes you appreciate being alive in 2006, doesn't it? Why brushing your hair excessively is bad: Your hair brush damages your hair follicles when your brush your hair incessantly. This causes your hair cuticles to get rough and tangle into the other hairs. It promotes further damage to the surrounding hair, and your hair follicles will eventually erode. As this happens-your hair weakens, breaks, and you may eventually experience hair loss. You may think that brushing your hair is harmless, but a brush can be your hair's worst enemy. It's best to use a comb on your hair, especially if it's wet. With a comb, you're not as likely to rush through the grooming process -- like you would if you used a brush. By brushing with a fervor, or 'rushing, ' you're likely to yank strands of hair from your head and causes breakage. Only use a brush if you absolutely must! You can use deep conditioners to and hair oils to moisturize hair and promote hair growth. Nevertheless, you shouldn't expect the products to 'fix' split ends. There's no remedy for curing split ends, except for cutting them off. If the split ends are ignored, they will only travel further up your hair causing more breakage. So if you notice split ends, have them removed by a beautician or barber right away.