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.