Everybody has an opinion on hair loss, and nearly everybody has heard of a supposed cure for hair loss. The unfortunate truth is that there are no miracle cures, and there is very little that you can do to avoid hair loss if you are a candidate for male (or female) pattern baldness. Here we aim to dispel some of the more widespread myths about hair loss - some serious, and some not so serious.

Male Pattern Baldness typically results in a receding hairline combined with hair loss on the crown of the head. Eventually the two gaps in the scalp will meet. As previously mentioned, there are factors which increase a man's chances of experiencing hair loss, but there are also a lot of myths on the subject of hair loss out there, and this article will focus on those.

Wearing a Hat

It is often said that wearing a hat increases the wearer's chances of Male Pattern Baldness. Men lose hair every day, without even noticing. This is due to the natural growth cycle of the hair, and they will ultimately be replaced by new hairs. If a man wears a hat for most of the day, any hair lost will gather in the hat, and this will probably be obvious to the wearer when he removes the hat. So, the man who wears a hat will perhaps notice natural hair loss more than the man who doesn't wear a hat. There is nothing to suggest that wearing a hat can cause hair loss, but the actual wearing of the hat will make the natural loss of hair more obvious that it otherwise would have been.

Blow Drying and Frequent Washing Causes Hair Loss

Unless they are done excessively, blow drying and washing your hair frequently will not cause hair loss. However, heat damaged hair is often brittle and prone to shedding. Too much heat can also permanently damage hair follicles, leading to hair loss. Similarly, physical damage to hair due to overaggressive shampooing or toweling can lead to a hair loss condition called traction alopecia.

Similarly, coloring hair, perming, and styling - when done properly - do not lead to hair loss.

Rubbing curry on the head will help

Afraid not, and you're likely to smell funny afterward.

Cutting the Hair

Another urban myth is that cutting the hair will make it grow back stronger and quicker. This is perhaps due to the fact that when cut, the hair feels thicker. There is no evidence to suggest that cutting the hair makes it grow back any differently. A person's hair will grow back at the same rate as before.

Brushing to Grow Hair?

The idea of brushing the hair 100 times a day to stimulate the scalp circulation is a fantasy. In fact, if you brush your hair too much, you may end up injuring and losing hair.

This myth stems from the thought that hair loss was due to poor circulation and that brushing or massaging would improve blood flow and nutrition to the follicles. The truth is, bald or not, there's no major difference in scalp circulation.

Standing on Your Head

One of the more bizarre rumours about hair loss is that if you stand on your head this will increase blood flow to the head. The theory is that the increased flow of blood to the head will stimulate hair growth. This is also nonsense...

Hair can turn gray or white over night.

What utter nonsense. This one was born in literature. What part of "fiction" did they not understand? Hair receives its color genetically and can only turn gray or white over very long periods of time. Actually the hair doesn't turn white in as much as the hair loses color, but not over night, or even a wild weekend.

You will be aware by now that there are a number of myths surrounding hair loss. In fact, hair loss is caused by a combination of age, genetics, and hormones. It is also thought that dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is also a contributor to Male Pattern Baldness, and there are a number of remedies available which combat the effects of DHT.