Hair loss

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40% of men under 35 are already losing their hair.

Myths about Hereditary Hair Loss and Balding

Let's sort the truth from the myths about hair loss

We’ve listed some common truths and myths for your hair loss that should clear up a few questions.

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  • The hair loss gene comes from my mum’s family

    FALSE. Hereditary hair loss can be passed on by either parent, although it’s true, the strongest influence is on the maternal side. The gene or genes responsible for this have not yet been identified and the pattern of inheritance is complex.

  • REGAINE® contains the only active ingredient clinically proven to regrow hair

    TRUE. REGAINE® contains minoxidil, which originally showed signs of its ability to re-grow hair when studied for other indications in the 1980’s. To this day minoxidil is the only clinically proven Over-The-Counter treatment for hair loss.

  • If you wash your hair too often you will go bald

    FALSE. Frequent shampooing has no effect, positive or negative, on hereditary hair loss. But it is important to take good care of the hair you have.

  • If I colour my hair, it’ll fall out faster

    FALSE. Many hair treatments, such as bleaching and colouring, can be hard on your hair. If the treatments are too strong, they may cause the hair to break off near the scalp, but no treatments will cause hereditary hair loss.

  • Blow-drying can cause hair loss

    FALSE. But it can dry, burn and damage hairs that may then fall out. If you're suffering from hereditary hair loss, the new hairs that grow are often thinner and less visible than the ones they are replacing.

  • Losing an average of 40-100 hairs a day is normal – they just grow back again

    TRUE. This is true for people who don't have male pattern baldness, and the hairs that fall out will soon be replaced by new ones. If you're suffering from hereditary hair loss, those hairs often come from follicles that are shrinking and the new hairs emerging from these follicles will be thinner. Eventually the follicles shut down and no longer produce any hairs at all.

  • I can increase the number of follicles on my scalp by using drugs

    FALSE. There is currently no drug on the market that will alter the quantity of hair follicles on your head. The number of hair follicles you have is completely out of your control – it's hereditary.

  • Cutting or shaving my hair will make it grow back thicker and faster

    FALSE Hair grows at an average rate of half an inch per month. Each hair shaft is slightly thicker at its base compared to its tip, so hair can appear thicker for about a week after it’s been cut. However, cutting hair has absolutely no effect on each hair's thickness or the number of hairs that will sprout from the follicles.

  • Bald men are more virile

    FALSE. The belief that baldness makes you more virile than a man with a full head of hair is, unfortunately, for those looking for a consolation, without scientific foundation.