There is entirely too much misinformation and untruths about men’s hair. Hopefully, we can make sense of what is fact or myth. Here are the top common men’s hair myths and facts.
Myth: You can train your hair to grow in a different direction.
Fact: Your hair growth patterns are determined by the hair follicle. No amount of blow drying, combing, or styling can “train” your hair to grow differently. A cowlick or odd growth pattern will always be there!
Myth: Shaving my beard or trimming my ear, nose or eyebrow hair will make them grow faster.
Fact: Hair is basically protein and keratin and has no blood supply or nervous system. People often believe that shaving causes the beard to grow faster or thicker, but facial hair typically grows course or thicker as you age so it’s only a coincidence. Trimming all facial hair will keep you looking
young and well groomed.
Myth: Plucking gray hairs will make more grow back in their place.
Fact: Hair has color because cells in our hair follicles called melanocytes, an epidermal cell capable of synthesizing melanin which creates pigment (color) in the hair. When these cells stop producing the pigment, the hair loses its color and is clear or silver. Plucking out one gray hair will not affect the melanocytes in the other hair follicles, so other hairs will not turn gray as a result of plucking. Gray hair can occur as a result of age or a medical condition.
Myth: Growing my hair longer will hide my baldness.
Fact: Actually, in almost every circumstance, growing hair longer makes the thinning and baldness appear much more noticeable. A man with a comb-over is only fooling himself.
Now that you know the facts behind the common men’s hair myths, please let your barber trim those ear, nose and eyebrow hairs!
Tonsorial Times author: Dwayne Thompson
Dwayne Thompson, aka “The Barber Ambassador,” is the CEO of The Fade Club LLC, a marketing and promotions company designed to grow the barbering industry through education and brand management. He wears many hats as the founder of The Barber Academy Tour, creator of “The Barbettes,” a term designed to promote female barbers, and the former host of Against the Grain Radio show, the first barber related radio show on Blog Talk Radio. He is a dynamic writer, educator, product broker, consultant and social media expert. He has held several Executive positions with a former barbershop publication and a national health outreach program. Mr. Thompson is also the Founder and Publisher of Tonsorial Times Magazine, “The Official Barbershop Trade Publication” focused on highlighting products, franchises, schools and educators directly connected to the barbering industry. For more information, visit www.tonsorialtimes.com.
