Davines Stylist Weighs in on the Biggest Hair Myths

Davines Stylist Weighs in on the Biggest Hair Myths

With all of the hair and styling advice out there, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and confused over what hair care path to follow. So we spoke with Davines Technical Education Manager Sunny Brewer to debunk some hair care myths and common misconceptions, to help you curate the best care routine (and practices) possible.

 

Cutting your hair makes it grow faster

Your hair grows an average of six inches per year — this means your ends have been through a lot of wear and tear. While this won’t make your hair grow faster, regular trims are still a key part of maintaining healthy hair and avoiding further splitting your ends. “You still need regular trims,” Sunny says. “Normal wear and tear can cause a lack of density throughout your hair, making it look finer, unmanageable, and unhealthy. Regular trims help combat split ends and hair that is at risk of breaking.” Be sure to check out our blog post on how to prevent split ends to learn more.

You can heal split ends

“You can’t get split ends to revert back to a perfect state, but you can mend them with products like Heart of Glass and Naturaltech Nourishing that contain our Biacidic Bond Complex. Using a hair glaze for blondes protects the hair from thermal damage, which can also cause split ends. And remember what we discussed: consistent trims remove the wear and tear that causes split ends!”

Heat tools are bad for your hair

While using heat tools without the proper protection will damage your hair over time, there are many different thermal and heat protectant products that can help you maintain healthy hair even with regular styling. According to Sunny: “Heat protection offers general protection, while a thermal protector protects the hair up to a specific degree that is tested. If you use a blow dryer or hot tool that heats up to around 450 degrees, use a thermal protector. You’ll notice a huge difference in the integrity of your hair and the longevity of your color.” Even with heat protectant products, let your hair air dry a bit before applying heat to help minimize the potential for damage.

Wearing a hat causes hair to thin

Wearing a hat won’t cause you to lose hair — however, if there is friction or the hat pulls the hair in any way, it could cause a loss of hair in that area. Sunny says, “A hat doesn’t cause you to lose your hair, but the stress it could cause on the scalp could cause a loss.”

 

Using too much conditioner can cause hair loss

“If you apply conditioner on the scalp, it could congest the follicle and lead to hair loss,” Sunny says. “Most conditioners are just designed for lengths and ends — but Renewing Conditioning Treatment can go on the scalp due to its anti-aging properties.” 

If you have greasy hair, you shouldn’t use conditioner

This is a myth! No matter what your hair type, you should still use conditioner. “We have to address issues at the scalp as well as what the lengths and ends need to stay healthy. To help control excessive sebum production, I recommend Rebalancing Shampoo from Naturaltech.”

You can train your hair to be less greasy by washing less

“This comes from the idea that shampooing less will slow down oil production that can come from over-stimulating your scalp. This is very much an individual, lifestyle-based concept, as we aren’t just shampooing to remove oil from the scalp, but also dirt and impurities.” Help restore a healthy scalp and hair balance by learning more about our products for oily hair.

Going to bed with wet hair prevents damage

As it turns out, this can actually cause some hair issues. “If you're going to bed with wet hair and you have thick, coarse hair, more than likely you're waking up with damp hair,” Sunny says. “This could also cause the buildup of bacteria or fungal growth, similar to how when we use a bath towel…if it doesn't dry, it ends up smelling like mildew. The same can happen for the hair and scalp, and this could cause the onset of dandruff.”

 

“The other thing we must consider is that having a sealed cuticle helps to protect the hair. When you go to bed with a wet head, you can sometimes rough up the cuticle, depending on how you sleep. If you must go to bed with damp hair, make sure to dry it first thing in the morning if it's still damp, so you have the ability to get all the moisture out of the hair and seal the cuticle.” Check out our blog post to learn more about how to sleep with wet hair to avoid cuticle damage.

 

Sleeping with wet hair will make you catch a cold

“Nope! A cold is a virus.”

Rinsing your hair with cold water makes it shinier

According to Sunny, this is true! “It can help seal and close the cuticle — when the cuticle is compact, light is able to reflect better off of your hair. Of course, products like hair oil can help create immediate shine if you don’t like ending your shower with a chilly rinse.”

Stress causes graying

There is some truth in this. “There has been some new research stating that stress can cause gray hair to happen quicker. To keep it simple: there are pigment-producing cells that live at the base of our hair strand and determine pigment. As we age, the cells that produce pigment gradually die off. So, in the conversation of stress and gray hair, it actually speeds up that process concluding that you can gray quicker from stress.”

If you pluck one gray hair two more will grow in its place

Sunny says that this is technically false. “It has to do with the individual follicle. So, if you tweeze a gray hair, then another gray hair will grow back, but it will not encourage the follicles around it to start producing gray hair.” 

Wearing your hair up too much can make your hair fall out

Sunny says, “this is closely related to the friction and stress one could experience from wearing a hat. If you are pulling your hair back tightly or pulling it up and twisting it around tightly, it could cause hair breakage.” If you’re experiencing excessive loss, as well as our Energizing family.

 

Brushing your hair makes it healthier

There are a lot of benefits to brushing your hair — from scalp stimulation to the proper distribution of oils, gently brushing your hair is a key part of maintaining overall hair health. 

Your hair doesn’t need sun protection

“Aside from causing a loss of hydration and moisture, UV rays can also cause hair sensitivity (especially if you’re color-treated) and fade color pigment. Our SU line is designed to protect your hair before or after sun exposure.”

It can be easy to get overwhelmed by all of the (often contradicting) hair advice out there, so we hope that this has helped answer some of your most common questions. And if there’s any other questions that you still have, you can’t beat the wisdom of Davines stylists — book an appointment at your Local Davines Salon for a personal hair care consultation.