As with anything beauty-related, there’s a lot of lies that fly around, finding their way into our ears and minds c/o (usually) well-meaning folk. Remember when someone told you squeezing lemon onto your hair before the beach would lead to perfectly sun-kissed strands? Anyone who tried it knows that was a load of crap. Also, probably had to grow out some seriously orange highlights.
Since there are still plenty of myths that fly around, we decided to ask Remington Schulz, famed Australian hairdresser and Pantene ambassador, to debunk a few popular ones for us.
MYTH: YOU CAN MEND SPLIT ENDS
“The only proven way to mend split ends is to have them snipped off,” explains Remington.
So if you’ve got split ends ’til the cows come home, you’ll need to go get a trim – and get trims regularly to prevent future ones forming.
However, you can definitely improve the look of existing damage and prevent future damage from occurring with a nourishing conditioner.
“I would recommend using a deep conditioning product in between haircuts. Pantene’s 3 Minute Miracle Conditioner is perfect for this – it’s deeply moisturising formula helps to repair 3 months of damage in just 3 minutes.”
MYTH: YOU DON’T NEED TO USE CONDITIONER
“You absolutely need to use conditioner – conditioner works to lock in any moisture and nourishes the hair right from the core,” says Remington. “For strong and healthy hair that has no breakage, you need to invest in a conditioner that suits your hair type.”
Many people who hate conditioner just aren’t using the right formula, so make sure you buy one that suits your hair type.
“For added moisture and to repair damaged locks, try a nourishing conditioner like Pantene’s 3 Minute Miracle
Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner or if you have fine hair, try the new air-light Pantene Pro-V Foam Conditioner, which provides 100% conditioning with 0% weight,” suggests Remington.
MYTH: DANDRUFF IS CAUSED BY NOT WASHING YOUR HAIR ENOUGH
Surprise – dandruff is actually caused by a gross microbe, not being “dirty” by not washing hair.
“The cause of dandruff is actually a naturally-occurring microbe on the scalp (called Malassezia Globosa). You’ll find it on everybody’s scalp, although it will only cause dandruff in around 50% of people,” explains Remington.
That’s why it’s important to use a dandruff shampoo if you’re noticing you have it – these are formulated to calm your irritated scalp and prevent oleic acid – the irritant – from forming.
“The microbe feeds on natural scalp oils, leaving behind oleic acid – which can cause the scalp to become irritated and shed skin cells (aka dandruff!) faster than usual in an attempt to remove the irritant.”
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MYTH: YOU SHOULDN’T WASH YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY
While some of us can get away with several days between washes, some feel their hair goes flat and limp if they leave it more than 24 hours. Guess what? It’s totally fine to wash your hair that often.
“This is totally dependent on your hair type, lifestyle and the products you are using,” explains Remington. “Some people find they need to wash their hair every day, and that’s okay! While girls with thick, dry hair may be able to get away with washing their hair just twice a week, others with fine hair may find that their hair gets greasy more quickly – particularly when they use cream conditioners.”
MYTH: LEAVING YOUR HAIR UNWASHED WILL EVENTUALLY SEE IT TURN CLEAN AGAIN
Sadly (or not so sadly, for people around you), not washing your hair for weeks will not see it go from greasy to completely clean, like we’ve all heard.
“Unfortunately, even if you didn’t wash your hair for over a week it wouldn’t start to clean itself. After a few months of not washing your hair, you may find that your scalp might eventually regulate its oil production, however you wouldn’t get the real clean feeling you get after lathering up some shampoo in your hair,” explains Remington.
MYTH: YOU CAN MAKE YOUR HAIR GROW FASTER
This is KIND OF true. You can’t speed up your natural hair growth rate, but you can ensure it’s growing as fast as it naturally should be.
“A healthy diet will ensure your hair is growing as fast as it can – particularly incorporating foods like nuts, fish and avocado into your meals,” explains Remington.
Also, remember that split ends split UP – meaning if you aren’t getting regular trims, you’re losing your ends to damage. This can make it seem like your hair isn’t growing, when actually you’re just losing the lengths.
“Hair grows at its own rate, regardless of how often you get a trim,” says Remington.“Saying that, regular trims will make your hair feel and look a whole lot healthier. Healthy ends are also less likely to split up the cuticle and can help elude to longer, fuller locks.”
MYTH: TYING YOUR HAIR TIGHTLY WILL GIVE YOU A RECEDING HAIRLINE
This isn’t true, but that doesn’t mean that tight ponytails or buns 24/7 won’t do damage to your hair.
“Tying your hair up tightly won’t give you a receding hair line, however tight ponytails can cause some breakage – especially when the hair is wet,” says Remington. “I advise using a spiral anti-breakage hair tie to reduce any damage.”
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MYTH: YOU NEED TO DOUBLE-SHAMPOO
Not necessarily, but sometimes it’s not a terrible idea.
“In most cases, you will only need to shampoo once,” says Remington.
But if you’re finding your shampoo isn’t lathering up the first round, go in for a second. Also, some people WILL need the second shampoo.
“If you have a particularly prominent build of product or residue – then a double shampoo can be a saviour,
says Remington.
