Author Maxim Tourou / Category Architecture / Published: Apr-05-2018

More than 65% of American men experience some form of hair loss by the age of 35 and the numbers climb to 85% at the half-century mark. You aren’t alone if you’re losing your locks, but that doesn’t make it any less frustrating as you watch your hairline recede. While the scientific community has made huge strides to lessen the impact of alopecia, there are still plenty of myths about its causes. Here are 10 of the more common urban legends surrounding this common health problem as well as the facts that debunk each one.

1. Blame Mom for Your Hair Loss

One of the most oft-repeated myths about baldness is that you inherit the genes from your mother’s side of the family. While it is true that genetics play a major factor in whether or not you’ll experience thinning hair, those traits can come from anyone in your family tree. One of the leading causes of hair loss –sensitivity to an androgen known as DHT—is carried on the X chromosome, which is why this myth persists.

2. Frequent Shampooing Makes You Lose Hair

If you’ve ever found hair in your hand after shampooing, you might wonder if it might be a cause of your receding hairline. The act of rubbing shampoo into your scalp can be slightly agitating, which is what makes you shed stray hairs. This is a case of correlation not being the same as causation because shampoo itself doesn’t accelerate the effects of male pattern baldness. If anything, gentle soapy treatment for your follicles helps keep them healthier by getting rid of dirt.

3. Sun Exposure Causes Thinning Hair

Sunlight provides warmth and light for the entire world, but it also comes with an onslaught of ultraviolet radiation. While this form of solar energy isn’t good for your skin, there’s no proven link between increased sun exposure and hair loss. You may experience dryness or lightening in color, but your biggest concern about sunlight’s impact should be skin cancer. You can also wear a strong sunscreen on your scalp without worrying because it won’t lead to baldness either.  

4. If You’re Going To Go Bald, It’ll Happen by 50

There’s no set age when male pattern baldness begins, but once it does, it won’t stop. While 85% of American men will lose some hair by the age of 50, it can start at any point in life. A full 25% of men will start thinning by 21 and even 3% of all pediatric doctor visits are due to some form of hair loss.

5. Too Much Testosterone Leads to Baldness

Testosterone levels are responsible for many things in a man’s body, but hair loss is not one of them. The real culprit is DHT, which is a male sex hormone that can bind to receptors in the follicles of men who are susceptible to baldness. With this sensitivity, each follicle actually shrinks, which prevents it from growing new hair.

6. Hair Products Are Making You Bald

Loading your hair up with gel, mousse, relaxer, dye or any other products can help you achieve the desired look, but it won’t make you go bald. If you’re a heavy user of these chemicals, it can be a good idea to take a break every so often, but that’s mainly to help your hair regain some of its natural moisture and texture.

7. Baldness Could Be a Circulation Problem

Like any other body part, your hair follicles need blood flow to stay alive, but those requirements diminish as you start going bald. While there is decreased circulation in the scalp when baldness occurs, it’s a result and not the cause.

8. Lose the Hat if You Want To Keep Your Hair

No matter if you’re wearing a cap during a baseball game or you’re sporting a fedora for a night on the town, you can rest assure that your headwear will not contribute to baldness. If you do happen to wear your hat extremely tight, you could end up pulling hair out when you take it off and put it on, but it would have to be uncomfortably small for your head.

9. Cut Down on Stress To Maintain Your Mane

According to studies conducted by the American Psychological Association, most Americans experience some form of stress in daily life, and it can have powerful physiological effects. While some people can experience hair loss because of a traumatic event, this is usually a temporary condition that will eventually resolve itself. Anxiety can be detrimental to your overall mental health, there’s no evidence linking it with male pattern baldness.

10. Frequent Haircuts Make Hair Grow Faster

This myth is similar to the one about shaving to make your beard grow back thicker and faster, but it’s just as untrue. Your hair grows at its natural speed, and there’s nothing you can do to accelerate the process. What a haircut will do is eliminate any split ends, which can create the appearance of thickness and accelerated growth.